Grim Fate
by Aglaranna
Summary: Kelly Jones has problems: a Winchester is headed for hell, the other made immortal, and war is brewing. Now, with her replacement sent and Baba Yaga counting bullets, things are about to get worse this side of the Rabbit Hole. DTRH bk2 Dean/OC Sam/OC
1. Prologue: Another Alice Falls

Title: Down the Rabbit Hole, Book 2: Grim Fate

Show: Supernatural

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Kelly Jones has problems: one Winchester is headed for hell, and the other has been made immortal. And a war is brewing on the horizon, with it's participants intent on making mankind's world their battleground. And, for the first time in centuries, the Fey have grown active. But on which side they stand is still unclear. Now, someone new has been sent to claim Kelly Jone's place. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Baba Yaga is sneaking in at night to count the Winchester's bullets. In all of this, only one thing is clear, Kelly's on the outs and things are about to get worse this side of the Rabbit Hole.

This story follows the third season of Supernatural and will use some of its episodes and dialogue.

Disclaimer: I own no characters or film scripts created by Erick Kripke and his team of writers. The characters and show are the property of the CW. Kelly Jones, Erin Chang, and any character or world additions to the SPN universe are my own creation and they belong to me.

Prologue: Another Alice Falls

She fell.

She fell a long way.

Down, down through the darkness. Light spun around her. There were reds, oranges, yellows, blues, and whites twinkling like a thousand stars caught irrevocably in a whipping whirlpool. She twisted, a whirligig. She fell. Down, down, down, around her, she could see visions, shapes, distorted. The future, the past, time immemorial, she was a part of it. Bound by the threads of fate. She could see them, spinning out their own web, a pattern. A fate. Hers, everyone's, she would not remember this, but she could see it. Destruction.

Faces, she saw a face, brown hair and dark eyes, a heart shaped face with a strong jaw. He was smiling. Was it at her? Light. She whizzed around. Tumbling downwards. Disorienting. Her hands by her feet, her knees by her shoulders, her head… She had a headache.

Everything burned. Burned and burned. Her skin was white hot, sizzling as she fell. It felt like forever. It felt like seconds. She hurt all over. She was scared of the darkness. It meant to swallow her whole. It reached towards her, fingers wide, destiny. She knew. That was destiny as assuredly as it was death. She could not be caught by it. She would not reach her destination. Like a strong wind whipping up from the west, she was cast out of reach. Continuing to tumble she continued down, down, down, towards a black pit.

She looked up. She found herself staring into yellow eyes. Sharp teeth, black lips, jaws swung wide, and there was a roar. A roar, the likes of which she had never heard before. It was ferocious. Frightening. A paw swiped towards her. Hot breath sent puffs of steam rising off of her already sizzling skin. The beast was going to lung. Dark as night it watched her. She wanted to scream but it was caught in the back of her throat. The beast jumped. The world turned and the monster fell away. She continued falling.

She fell.

She fell into the light. She fell until she stopped. There was a crash. Thudding pain. She'd hit something. Her back hurt. Before she had time to right herself, gather her thoughts, rub her blurry eyes there was a squeal, followed by a shriek. Someone was terrified. For her, that wasn't unusual.

"Oh my god!" That was a woman's voice.

"Where the hell did she come from?" Another woman, she was just as frightened.

"What the—" A male voice, and despite the question in his words, he didn't sound surprised at all.

That was… surprising. She felt her body tumble backwards, she wasn't all there, not completely connected. The chords of nerves connecting her muscles were moving slowly, sluggish. All around her bodies were scrambling. The ruffling of fabric, told her that people were getting dressed, quickly. The girl lifted her hand to rub her eyes; she was still seeing stars; that wasn't good.

_Great_. Dean Winchester thought, another one had landed on him. He wondered for a moment if he should call Kelly Jones, his now ex-girlfriend, in from where she was resting on the Impala's trunk. He straightened up, quickly shifting the white covers of the hotel room over to hide the family jewels. He hated being caught with his pants down. When Kelly had fallen a little over a year ago, both he and his little brother Sam had been on hand. _And dressed, god damn it!_ Kelly had had the good taste not to interrupt a fun and pleasing sexual escapade. _Not if she wasn't a part of it._ But that was a long story, one that had happened in months long passed.

"Who are you?" One of the buxom blondes shrieked.

Dean suppressed a smile. _Twins._ There was nothing better. His hazel eyes shifted away from the fallen…_and dressed…_ he thought with some chagrin, girl and to them. If he was remembering correctly their names were Sasha and Barbara last name unnecessary. _And we'd been having a damn good time_. He glared down at the girl. She was still in a ball, her knees hiding her face, but she couldn't be much older than his ex, Kelly Jones. _Kelly._ Maybe he should call her. _If this kid's like her or a fey_. But then again... _If she's come to sleep with me…_ Well, then maybe he could get it over and done with, here and now. _Kelly never has to know_. That suited him better.

"Yeah?" Questioned Sasha, or was that Barbara? Dean didn't really have their names down straight.

Dean watched as the girl, who could be no less than nineteen and no more than twenty two, lifted her chin. A sheet of cobalt black hair sliding over her slim shoulders, she was tiny and attractive, very attractive. Dean swallowed. _The damnable kind of attractive that's too good to be true._ He'd seen enough damn fey in the past two months since the Yellow-Eyed Demon's death to know that. If this girl wasn't friendly he'd be in deep shit. Slowly, Dean started to scoot backwards. He always kept an iron knife underneath his pillows these days, it was better than a gun, killed more things. He wondered if he could get to it before this girl found her bearings.

Dark, wide eyes stared at him. They were flat, almond-shaped, staring out of a tanned face with pert pink lips and a high forehead. Think black eyebrows bent over those large eyes in an expression of curiosity. She looked like she was Chinese in origin, or some kind of Asian. Dean Winchester wasn't sure, he normally kept to a strict diet of American food and that meant he didn't interact too often with other ethnicities. She sat up, tilting her head to the side. She had a very round face, rich eyes, and long lashes that fluttered breathlessly. Her eyes were on him. Her lips turned downwards as her hair fell sideways, hesitantly, she plucked a long glossy strand of black hair out of her eyes and tugged it back behind her ear.

Dean's eyes didn't leave her face; he didn't even examine what else she was wearing, though he was sorely tempted. The thought made him feel guilty, the same way the twins knotted his stomach, and his mind went to the girl waiting outside with his brother. The girl Sam was linked to.

He didn't say anything as she moved to her knees, surprisingly, neither did the twins. _But tonight's full of surprises._ So, yeah, he wasn't going to worry. He scooted back another step as she lifted her hand towards him, fingers extended. Dean saw a strange black mark on the back of her wrist. With an age-old smoothness created by a lifetime of practice, he slid his fingers beneath the pillows. Regretting that tonight's fun was over as his hand closed around the hilt of the knife blade, he leaned forward. The muscles of his back tightening, ready for a fight. He waited, a pause, hairsbreadth away from ripping out the knife and lunging forwards, right in front of the twin's terrified eyes. Dean Winchester hated fey. He got ready to move, muscles straining in anticipation, a release inevitable.

Then, with some trepidation and more than a little embarrassment, she spoke.

"Hi!" She said. Her voice was deeper than he'd expected.

Dean's body started to relax as his grip loosened on the knife. Still, he refused to let it go entirely. _Not until I've heard what she has to say_. His eyes focused on her dark ones, never leaving, and even the buxom blonde twins waited with breathless anticipation. Their breasts heaving between their shoulders as the small Chinese girl continued.

"Are you?" She sounded hesitant, nervous; there was an awkward pause as she shifted on her knees. Finally, she finished her question. "Are you Sam Winchester?"


	2. Chapter 1: Of Fights and Friends

Chapter One: Of Fights and Friends

In the low lighting of the bar, Kelly Jones ducked. Her slim body moving smoothly as her feet spun, her hands behind her back, a joyless smile playing on her lips. This was a seedy place. The local bike gangs had claimed it for theirs. And that meant if any outsiders wandered in, they'd find trouble. Even if they weren't looking for it. Of course, trouble had been exactly what Kelly Jones wanted.

There was a crash and a howl as a fist connected with the hard oak bar. A tall man with long blond braids and tattoos on his biceps stumbled backwards gripping his wrist, his hand bleeding. With a smirk Kelly leaned back as a pool cue cut through the air, just above her nose. Her eyes crossed together for a moment, her smile remaining fixed on her mouth, her cold golden brown eyes staring mercilessly at the ceiling. She bounced back up like a spring, her boots clicking on the slick hardwood. The blade of her hand catching a dark hair man, dressed in leather, across the windpipe. He dropped the pool cue with a horrid gasp; it clattered against the floor. Kelly straightened, her left foot sweeping up under his right ankle, catching him in a moment of surprise. She slid in front of him with a quick sidestep, her eyes on his as he gaped. Her lips quirked in a cold smile and she reached forwards.

Before her the dark haired man fought for balance, his arms waving back and forth. Her finger pressed down on his chest and she gave him a little shove. He went toppling over, crashing into a bar stool and collapsing it beneath his weight. Crushing and splintering the wood, the man went down, hitting the floorboards with a thud. Kelly gave him a quick kick to the forehead, snapping his head back and leaving him unconscious.

Kelly Jones stared around the bar, tilting her head to the side, a caustic smile twisting her mouth. Twelve men had entered this bar early in the evening, celebratory after a long day, clapping each other on the back in some kind of celebration. They'd come here looking for a drink and they'd found her. When they'd entered, she was leaning against the counter, her elbow pressed against the wood, sipping a foul concoction. The barman had called it beer. Her mouth twitched as she surveyed her handiwork.

Twelve bodies lay strewn across the room. One had spit creating small bubbles popping on his mouth; he was passed out on the pool table. More, dark haired, light haired, ugly and handsome, were lying around her. One had his forehead cracked against the bar and was sleeping it off, a small trail of blood seeping down his forehead. Another had been tossed over a table, it had collapsed beneath him, and he lay with his eyes closed, arms crossed across his chest, beer dribbling off his thick curly beard. Behind her, she heard the faint drip drop of escaping alcohol. Kelly chuckled.

These men had expected to find a good time when they saw her. She'd seen it in their eyes. As she stood still, the only other patron in the bar, they'd surrounded her. One hairy lummox after another leaning on the bar, asking if they could buy her something, laughing over how quiet she was. She'd listened to the ones behind her compliment her rack and waited. It was a pattern now, a habit that had become ingrained, a way she worked out her anger. Kelly never struck first, no, that would have been impolite and if she had, she couldn't claim that they'd assaulted her. No, she waited until the first man felt up her ass. Then, she'd broken his fingers and slammed his face into the bar. Kelly had gone back to her drink after that, waiting for the next one. It hadn't taken long. The minute the next biker's hand settled on her shoulder, she'd stepped around and snapped his elbow, shattering the bone in one a smooth strike. They swore and called her bitch. Kelly's soft pink mouth curved into a satisfied smile. The bar owner had run.

Kelly stepped back to the bar and what was left of her drink. She didn't wonder how long it would take for the cops to arrive. She never did. She would be gone before they came, her face nothing but a distant hangover memory. Kelly's fingers slid around the curve of the glass handle. She lifted the thick crystal to her lips and tipped it back. Dark amber washed down against her lips, wetting her dry mouth and, with a wince, she swallowed the swill. It burned as it slid down her throat.

Wiping her mouth with her free hand, Kelly's eyes passed over the sleeve of her black leather duster. No matter the weather or the time of year, she always wore it over her shoulders, collar up around her neck. Her gaze touched a shiny patch of skin, exposed just above the end of her sleeve. It stood out in the dim light, glittering for the world to see. It was a scar. Part of a matched set of four-inch brands wrapped around both her wrists and scarring her neck. They were gifts from her old master, the Yellow-Eyed Demon. Branded into her as a reminder of her servitude, of her willingness to do anything to survive. They were a part of who she'd become, as inescapable as the tainted demon blood still flowing through her veins.

Kelly gazed at the scar on her wrist, the corners of her eyes tightening, her mouth smoothing into a thin line. This was a reminder. An example of the ugliness inside her, the murderer who rested beneath her breast. The reason why the man she loved no longer loved her. _Azazel._ Kelly tore her eyes from her wrist, swallowing more of the beer and setting the glass down on the counter.

This was her pattern, decided soon after Dean had announced his intention to date other people. That had only been a month and a half ago. She closed her eyes, the memories hiding behind her eyes, stark as the first day she'd experienced them. After the battle with Azazel, after Samuel Colt's treachery, after the Devil's Gate had opened, spilling hundreds of damned souls and others out into the human world. She shook her head. Everything had changed on the morning after. Fey and other spiritual beings began crawling out of their hidey-holes. Faces the like she'd never seen before. Her brothers and sisters of the C'wn Mamau walking freely on the earth. Some partnered and others not, the old traditions had been forgotten. Each night she heard Herne's Horn echoing through tree and grove, rebounding through city streets, calling her to the Hunt. Each time, it was only her connection to Sam Winchester that kept her stable, kept her traveling with the boys. Still, a part of her longed to answer the call. To run once again with her own kind.

During the past few months, a war had begun brewing between the forces of the supernatural. Kelly had yet to learn why. Like so many across the world, the psychically aware, the paranormal, and the trinity of forces themselves, she could feel the universe waiting. Tension filling the air and sky as the world held it's breath. Luckily, chaos had yet to be unleashed, but Kelly knew it still could be.

She looked up and over the bar, seeing her own reflection staring back at her. Blood dribbled down her forehead from a cut, from when she'd been tossed against the counter. She didn't reach up to wipe the trail of red away, her eyes remained transfixed by her reflection. For a moment, she didn't see herself. She saw the smiling face of her former master, his cold pupil-less gaze holding her own, an approving twist to his lips. He seemed to nod, his face filled with pride. Unbidden, her eyes glowed gold in response. Hatred flooded her as her teeth clenched, grinding against each other. Swiftly, her hand was grasping the corner of the bar stool, her fingers tightening beneath its edge, her palm pressing down against the leather cushion.

"No!"

With a quick fling of her arm, she hurled the stool into the glass. It cracked and shattered on impact. The legs broke to pieces as small shards of clear reflecting glass collapsed towards the floor. Kelly stared at her broken reflection, knowing the Yellow-Eyed demon was still there, even if she couldn't see him. She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands clenching into small-balled fists and she turned away.

"He's dead." She muttered. "Dead and gone." Nearly sinking into a sobbing ball, she held herself upright. Those eyes still haunted her at night, along with the blood and the screams. "He can't hurt me or Sam ever again." She shook her head, her dark brown hair swinging about her face. They were safe now.

She felt a brief flash of worry at the back of her mind. Sam was waiting for her. She'd agreed to meet him in the park after she was done. _While Dean…_ Her mind trailed off and her heart squeezed painfully. It was none of her business. What he did now was none of her business. _We're not dating anymore._ He could go bang half the women in Nebraska for all she cared. _I just don't want to have to watch._ Kelly reached into her pocket and fished out a crisp hundred dollar bill. Flattening it with her hand, she left it tucked underneath the glass, a tiny smiley face drawn on its upper right edge. Behind her, she heard a groan. The men would be waking up soon. _And it would be better if I were elsewhere._ A tiny smile curved her lips as she began recovering her composure.

When the sound of sirens finally echoed around the corner, Kelly Jones was already long gone. Leaving behind the wreckage and the hundred-dollar bill, she strode down the street beneath the flickering streetlights, whistling to herself. She didn't have to focus hard to track down Sam, since his death at the hands of Jake Talley and after Dean had sacrificed his soul and she'd sacrificed her life to bring him back, they'd been tied together. He acted as her Binder and she acted as his hound. Kelly tugged her collar up around her neck, hiding her scar. After all, she was not and never had been human. In the darkness and shadow cast by the lamps, Kelly Jones eyes glowed gold.

***

Sam Winchester sat on a bench just inside Haley's Park. It was three blocks from the local cemetery. It was small town, filled with old and rotting bodies that went back to the first settlers who'd come out west. Inside there was nothing of interest, just a few wandering spirits who weren't old enough yet to cause trouble. Sam couldn't be bothered by their presence; so long as they weren't hurting humans he wouldn't hunt them. A wry smile twisted his lips at that thought. _And what is it that Kelly's doing?_ He wondered to himself, suddenly feeling like a hypocrite. Feeling the collected calm bundle that his mind associated with Kelly, Sam knew she was probably finished. He could feel her heading towards his location. Sam couldn't really blame her behavior. Out of all of them; she'd gone through the most changes. Spent most of her time in limbo as a ball of barely controlled rage. He looked down at the book on his lap, adjusting the flashlight again so that he could read better. After they'd killed the Yellow-Eyed demon, Dean had broken up with her, and while his brother fiercely denied that his demon deal was the reason. Sam still suspected that it was. He just wasn't quite sure how. _But I'll figure it out._ He'd do that and save his brother's soul. _And Kelly agreed to help me do it._

Whenever Dean dredged up a date or a one-night stand, Sam's hound usually spent her evenings at the roughest bar in town. _Causing trouble._ Even though Sam wished that Kelly would just talk to him about her problems, he understood her need to beat the anguish out. After all, he could feel those emotions himself; they were part of the tie connecting them. The bond that had reanimated his body, even if it hadn't actually brought him back to life. _Dean's fault really._ He hadn't specified. _So I'm basically a corpse._ The realization hadn't completely set in yet. Sam hadn't quite gotten over the fact that he no longer needed to eat or breathe, and he still did both on a regular basis. It made him feel more normal. _Still, I'm immortal._ Because of the bond, he would spend the rest of his unnatural life with Kelly. _And Dean gets to die in less than a year._ They'd already wasted two months and Sam wasn't ready to waste a third.

Beneath the branches of the sycamore, Sam Winchester's eyes narrowed. He moved his flashlight back over the pages, taking in as much information as he could about demon deals. Faust had made the cut and many more, but he'd quickly discovered that most served as a cautionary tale. _Never make a deal with a devil._ No examples of a man actually escaping from his deal. _We managed it once._ But that had required taking the Crossroad's Demon who'd made the deal hostage and creating a new bargain to keep herself out of hell. _And I doubt that'll work a second time._ Sam still believed that Dean's salvation lay with Kelly's fey kindred, but whenever he questioned her on the subject she withdrew, reminding him that it was a bad idea. Sam sighed loudly with exasperation and flung his head back, staring up into the overhead branches and beyond them to the twinkling stars.

"Giving up already?" A familiar female voice joked.

Sam didn't need to look to know who it was. "Hey Kelly." He said, a warm smile breaking his lips and he shut the book.

He didn't open his eyes as she took a seat beside him, her long fingers ruffling the dark hair on back of his head. As of yet, he hadn't managed to stop her from treating him with sisterly affection. Like his brother Dean, Sam had fallen in love with Kelly Jones after she'd fallen into their lives. He'd stood back with quiet acceptance when he'd learned she was in love with Dean. He'd accepted their romance and hadn't interfered, but now that they were broken up, Sam was having a harder time suppressing his feelings. He didn't want to push Kelly, that was the last thing on his mind, but he hoped that with time, she'd grow to love him as more than just a friend and partner. With their bond, he already saw her as his hound, his feelings and life connected to her own in a sacred partnership. But Sam also knew that a part of Dean still thought of Kelly as his girl. His brother wasn't ready for her to date, even if he was plowing his way through Nebraska trying to forget her. _Or making her forget him._

"Sam." Kelly nodded. "I see you haven't made any progress."

"It's the usual." He sighed.

A mischievous smile spreading over her lips as she stared down at him. Sometimes, he liked pretending that she wasn't there. Tilting her head to the side, she reached out with slim fingers and pinched his side. Sam yelped, sitting up straight he glared at her. But she only laughed, her dark eyes merry beneath the streetlights. Sam sucked in a deep breath and rubbed his side, it was rare these days for her smile to reach her eyes. He was glad of any occasion it did. He felt the cheeriness stinging his mind and he smiled back dourly.

"Ouch." He grumbled.

"Jeez," Kelly sighed. She flopped back against the bench, her eyes on the small hills and curving path that lead down towards a small stream. "How did I ever get stuck with such a nancy boy bookworm for a partner?"

"Nancy boy?" Sam snapped. Sitting up, he glared at her. He was doing his best. _I have to save Dean._ "I'm hardly a…"

It took him a moment to realize that she was smiling at him, a merry grin spread from ear to ear. _Must have had a good time tonight._ He thought. She was more cheerful than she had been for a few days. Maybe that meant she wouldn't chew up another pair of Dean's biker boots. By now, his older brother was on his third set. _Boots he hasn't needed to replace for years._ All because sharp teeth had chewed through the leather. She called them break up cravings, or whenever she was feeling amused puppy teething, Kelly could always say it with a straight face. And she was quick to remind Dean when he got red-faced that, according to her people; she was barely more than a year old. But Sam believed she was doing it to mess with his brother.

Sam frowned at her as she stuck her tongue out at him, looking for a minute like a girl who was barely twenty-one years old. Her large eyes, normally a shade of mahogany and gold, stood out of her face. She was a pretty girl, but was considered plain, even ugly by the conventional standards of her people. Her mouth was small and she had high cheekbones, with a broad forehead and thin black eyebrows that arched over those expressive eyes. Her skin was barely tanned, usually appearing pale, sometimes nearly translucent in the dark. At night her eyes constantly shone, reflecting the light like an animal, but giving her better vision than normal humans.

Kelly stood five foot four, and was gifted with a lithe athletic body. She had small hands and feet with long fingers and toes; her nails were sharp. Plain dark brown hair hung down a little past her shoulders. She normally kept it bound back in a ponytail.

The only things of serious consideration that marred her features were the myriad of scars she'd gathered during her months with them and those she'd spent as with their enemy. The most prominent were the large four-inch burn marks around her wrists from the iron manacles Azazel had slapped around her wrists and the matching one she'd earned from the steel collar she'd been forced to wear about her neck. Another visible scar was a thin pale line cut across her right cheek, just below her eye. That was from Kelly's first hunt, when she'd been captured by the serial killer ghost, H. H. Holms.

For the past couple days, she'd been complaining that they never slowed down their traveling enough for her to get a haircut. She often pointed at her layers that had grown out over the months she'd spent with them, using the overgrown bangs as proof. She shook that hair at his brother and sometimes at him to prove a point, grumbling about a cadre of split ends. And though he often happily gave into her on the road antics, Sam still believed it was all part of her ploy to annoy Dean. _As much as she possibly can_. With a sigh, Sam wished she'd show him the same kind of attention. He glanced at her, feeling a warm fuzzy ball in the back of his mind.

"You're a nerdy bookworm though." She smirked. "And don't try to struggle out of that one." Her eyes danced as she gazed at him, her hands crossed over her chest. The sleeves of her jacket pulled a little ways down her wrists and Sam noticed her scars shining in the darkness. "You're still trying to solve all your problems with a musty book."

"True." Sam snorted and hit her with the closed book. "I haven't seen you come up any better ideas."

Kelly gave a playful yelp as he hit her, afterwards vigorously rubbing her arm. Pouting, she glared up at him. Kelly's past was a mystery, who she'd been before the car crash that had sent her falling into their dimension was still a mystery. It was a life she'd admitted to having few memories of. Once, in Cold Oak Kelly had told him the story of how she'd died. That it had been her own people using her as a sacrifice so that his father, John Winchester could strike a deal with the demon Azazel to save his brother Dean. She'd died for him and then given up her life here for Sam, entering him into the service of a Fey called the Crone and the leader of the C'wn Mamau. Kelly had called him to the Wild Hunt. This was because, as Sam had discovered, both he and Dean were descendants of men who'd made similar agreements, binding their souls forever to the Crone. Sam's mother had been one such Hunter; it was a fact that Sam had yet to share with his brother. One he felt like keeping to himself most days.

"Anyway, you've been more focused on beating out your problems in bar brawls then helping me solve this case." Sam said. He leaned forward over the book again, steepling his fingers before his eyes, looking out at the park.

"I know." Kelly said. She lay her head back and stared up at the sky. "But short of calling up Mallt-y-Nos and asking for a favor, I'm working with nothing." She didn't bother to add that since her own people seemed more interested in destroying the human world than helping it, any discussion with a higher fey wouldn't amount to much. "We can't make a deal to counteract the other deal and the old boss lady's the one holding all the cards."

Sam sensed the frustration behind her words, feeling it prickling at the back of his mind. He shook his head. "We'll just have to figure out something else then." He said. With a heavy sigh, Sam pushed the book off of his lap. It fell with a clumping sound and lay still on the green painted wood.

"Well, get that genius brain working." Kelly responded, hugging her body tightly. "Cause we've only got ten months left and then Dean's bill's coming due." Her nose wrinkled in the darkness and she glanced at Sam again, she smiled again, trying to be comforting. "I'm sorry." She muttered. "I meant to say that we'll figure something else out."

"No." Sam growled. "You're right." The whole thing looked hopeless. But at least it got her mind off the break up. Sam reached down into the bag at his feet. "So," he added. "Since Dean hasn't called yet." That was their code word for his brother having a romping good time. Kelly grunted in response, her face going dark with tempestuous emotions. "We still have time for some fun."

"Fun?" Kelly glanced up at him with hopeful eyes and Sam nearly laughed, her tail was practically wagging.

"Your favorite kind." Sam grinned. Reaching into the canvas bag at his feet, he fished out a plastic glow-in-the-dark Frisbee. He knew how much she needed some fun and games. "I figured you hadn't gotten your kinks out yet." He lifted the Frisbee and watched with a satisfied expression as her eyes followed his hand. "Kelly?"

"Ah-huh." She nodded.

A golden glow was creeping into her large eyes as her black lashes fluttered. Kelly stared at his hand, hypnotized by the Frisbee. Slowly, Sam pulled it to the left and then the right, watching her body follow his hand movements. _This is the badass girl who hunts and eats ghosts on a regular basis?_ He wondered with a grin. He always liked seeing the softer side of her. _It's good to know she's still got one._

"Do you want the ball?" He asked. She nodded, her golden eyes never leaving his hand. "You sure?" She nodded again. Sam got onto his feet quickly and Kelly followed his movement. "Okay," he laughed. Pulling his arm back, he flicked his wrist outwards, sending the Frisbee flying off into the darkness. "Go get it!"

Beside him there was a shimmering flash. The girl no longer stood there, instead a large black dog bounded off into the darkness. A shadowy streak speeding across the field, her long legs striding beneath her as she chased the white Frisbee twirling beneath the night sky. Sam watched with a delighted grin as his hound lunged through the air, her body twisting as she caught the Frisbee between her jaws. Landing with a quiet thump all four paws hit the dewy grass as the dog lifted her golden gaze, eyes glowing at him in the darkness. Sam could see her tail pounding back and forth, wagging madly. The Frisbee was between her teeth glowing as she galloped back to where he was standing. She stopped just short, a few feet from where he was, a playful growl filling the air.

"Come on, Kelly." Sam said. He held out an expectant hand. "Bring it."

The black dog shook her ebony head, growling merrily as she slapped her paws against the springy ground. She wanted him to chase her. Her golden eyes glittered in the shadows, her plumed tail shaking back and forth in a black buzz. She pounded the ground again.

"Bring it." Sam repeated. This time his voice was more forceful. But the dog didn't respond. Then, Sam took a step forward, his hand still out. Deep down, he knew he wasn't going to get it back unless he chased her. "Kelly!" Her growls were her only response. Sam took another step forward and as he did, his hound twisted on her hindquarters, turning around to dash off across the wet grass. "Come back here!" Sam laughed and dashed off after her. He knew it looked silly, chasing the black dog across the park, but Sam didn't care. For the moment, he was happy and so was she. Or at least he was, until the sprinklers turned on.


	3. Chapter 2: Meeting the Replacement

Chapter Two: Meeting the Replacement

Inside his hotel room, Dean felt his jaw snap loose with a crack; it fell and hung unhinged as he stared at her. Finally, he gathered himself back together, trying to overcome his shock of being mistaken for his brother. "What?" He managed, his voice hoarse. "What did you just call me?"

"Are you Sam Winchester?" She repeated. Tossing her head, sheet of ebony hair falling back over her shoulder, pretty Asian features marred with confusion. "You are a Winchester aren't you?" She fixed him with a firm expression, her black eyes searching his face.

"Did…did you just call me Sam?" Dean exploded. Indignation making his face burn as he looked the tiny chick over. He'd had enough with girls falling from the sky. _I thought I was done with this frickin' nonsense!_ His mind growled and he scrambled to his knees, carefully keeping the sheet covering his body. "Do I look like Sammy to you?"

His hands nearly shot up to his face. Did he look like Sammy? Had they done a body swap? _Kelly recognized us the first time we met._ She'd never mistaken him for _Sam_. His heart floundered a bit at the mention of his brother and his ex in the same sentence. They were probably hanging out together. _While I kept myself distracted with other things._ Dean's eyes darkened. Fabulous sex was supposed to make him forget about Kelly, not remind him that she was probably throwing the Frisbee with Sammy.

"I dunno." She spread her hands. "Don't know what he looks like. So, don't freak." She glared at him, dark hair hanging down over one eye. Her arms crossed over her tiny chest. It was a tiny chest, Dean noted. Only a little smaller than Kelly's. He wondered why all the girls who fell had tiny cup sizes. "I'm supposed to find him." She added after a minute of silence.

"Okay." Dean cast a glance at the twins. They were still cowering in a corner. _Well, now that my evening's ruined._ "You guys can get dressed and go." He told them. There wasn't any need to leave them sniveling in the corner.

"Are you sure?" One of the girls, Sasha queried. Her blonde eyebrows rose as she gazed at him. Tossed her head and glared at the new arrival, frightened as she was. Running a plump hand down her sister's mid-frame, pausing to tickle the bared flesh beneath her breasts, she tilted her head to the side. "You don't want to get rid of her," she tipped her chin at the Asian girl. "And continue?"

_Oh god do I ever._ Dean thought staring at the two girls, their thick blonde hair and full pouting lips. _I'd give anything to jump in bed with a woman who's got a full rack._ Someone who looked nothing at all like Kelly. Miserably, he started to shake his head.

"I don't need to stay." The girl said. "Just point me Sam Winchester's direction." Her eyes narrowed, upper lip curling with distaste as she stared at Dean. "And you can get back to your…" she trailed off doubtfully. "Fun."

Dean groaned. He glanced from the twins to the girl and then back. Finally he sighed loudly, rubbing his forehead, and looking pained he smiled at the two blondes. "Sorry, ladies." He said. "But this problem," he waved in the young Asian girl's general vicinity. "Is one I've gotta deal with."

There was a chorus of "aww's", but after a few kisses and some minor convincing, Dean managed to get Sasha and Barbara out the door, promising to call them if he ever got back in town. Shutting the door with another heavy sigh he turned back to the young woman. She was still sitting on her knees, staring at him with curiosity. A thin black eyebrow arched over her round tan face, her arms crossed beneath her tiny bosom.

"So." He began, deciding it was best to cut straight to the chase. "You a fey?"

The beautiful young woman nodded. She didn't seem at all surprised. "Well," She muttered, suddenly a little flustered. She paused, pressing a single index finger to her lips. "Kinda, sorta…. it's complicated." The words hung in the air between them, her dark black eyes narrowing slightly. "But it doesn't matter, I guess, because I'm here to see…"

"Sammy," Dean finished for her. "Is not here."

He crossed his arms over his chest, watching her warily. _What does kinda, sorta mean?_ Dean didn't get how it was complicated. _Either you are a fey or you aren't._ Those were the rules he'd come to understand. _Why isn't it supposed to matter? It sure as hell fucking matters._ Dean had only ever met two fey before and neither had resulted in wholly pleasant experiences. One was Kelly and she'd always seemed like a mostly normal girl. She'd wormed her way into his life and his heart, endearing her to him. _But that doesn't mean I won't kick her ass given half the chance_. She'd been a pain in the ass, lately. Dean shook his head, the other fey was Rhett, who'd been a racist dickwad. _And he nearly killed Kelly at the Devil's Gate_. Helping Samuel Colt to force Dean to open it. With those facts on the table, Dean didn't really have a high opinion of the species on the whole and he'd decided that he couldn't trust any of them further than he could throw one. His hazel eyes narrowed. _Which, considering her weight could be pretty far._ The girl looked ready to be snapped in half. _Like a toothpick!_ Though to be fair, he shouldn't judge her. Kelly was similar in appearance and Dean didn't doubt that she could crack his skull against the nearest wall. Not a pleasant thought. He would have to be on his guard.

"Okay." She seemed very young to him, or at least her behavior suggested it. Dean watched as she was bit her lip, her dark eyebrows wrinkling, her eyes darting away from him, she looked worried. "Okay…"

"And anyway, before I point you at Sammy." Dean continued. "I'm gonna need you to tell me what you want." _And why it is that you're here to see Sam and not Kelly._ Did this fey even know about her? Was this girl the one who was supposed to be Sam's partner, when Kelly had been meant to be his? _Did I already screw destiny this much?_ He swallowed.

"I'm Erin Chang." She said. Her eyes darted across his face again and she chewed on her lower lip, her face open. She looked nervous. Then, that melted away as her eyes narrowed and her mouth set into a firm and determined line, she looked up at him, directly into his eyes. Dean nearly took a step backwards at the ferocity there as she spoke. "And Sam Winchester's supposed to be _my_ partner."

***

Overhead the moon shifted off it's apex, filling the sky with a soft yellow glow as it looked down on the pair wrestling on the top of a grassy knoll in the center of Heidi's Park. The sprinklers were on, their rotating spray filling the air with a silver shine as the water splashed across the grass and the back of the tall young man digging his heels into the mud. His fingers were wrapped around the curving edge of a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee, hauling backwards with all his strength as a night black dog tugged back from the opposite direction. Her growls and snarls filling the air with sharp piercing tones. With a cry and a laugh, Sam Winchester let go, falling backwards onto a spraying sprinkler, the water creating a large long line up his back and soaking his butt as he went down. Sam yelped loudly in surprise as his dog darted away from him, her long legs sending her sailing down the grassy hill, pausing at the bottom only to look back at him playfully with shining gold eyes, her plumed tail waving like a banner as it curved over her back.

"Kelly!" Sam yelled, rolling to his feet. The back of his shirt and his jeans were soaked as he struggled to get out of the mud. His fingers sank deep into the wet dirt, covering his hands with dark wet globs. His soft brown eyes never left the dog standing at the bottom, watching her bark with surprise as another sprinkler turned on, catching her across the side in surprise. "Get back here!" He laughed. On his feet, Sam began slipping and sliding down the hill. His wet sneakers finding no traction on the suddenly soaked grass and he fell again before he hit the bottom. Still, even with the breath knocked out of him, he couldn't stop from laughing.

Worried, the black hound approached. Two months ago she'd been a large dog, around the size of a young Great Dane, with large paws and gangly legs, her body almost rail thin, compensated with a large chest and almost oversized head. She'd looked like a young puppy. Despite her size though, her body held no resemblance to the breed. Her shape had been reminiscent of a cross between a Wolf Hound, an Alaskan malamute, and a wolf. In truth, these days she most closely resembled a wolf hybrid. Her muzzle was long and slender, and her ears were curved with sharp tips like the corner of a diamond. Her body was lean with a large chest and a lithe body, her plumed tail curling up over her back when she was happy. She had filled out in the past two months. Her head, which had once only come up to Sam Winchester's waist, now hit closer to his ribs when she held her muzzle upright. Her gangly body now seemed less gawky, her paw size fitting more closely to her shape. But in all the months Sam Winchester had known her, the Hound's coloring had not changed, she remained night black, her fur carrying a blue sheen, with dark golden eyes. Sam shook his head as he looked over her again; she was a delicate animal despite her size. Kelly had only been a puppy when they'd met nearly a year ago, unsure of who and what she was, a baby by the standards of her people. Her current body as a dog representing that youthful age, though the youngest Winchester was sure that her physical form as a human had nothing to do with it.

Sam smiled, holding out his hand as the black hound approached, a soft whine emanating from deep within her chest. Her ears were back and her tail was low, like all dogs, she didn't appreciate being wet. He chuckled softly as she dropped the Frisbee at his side, stretching out her muzzle and curling pink tongue to lick his fingers. "Good girl." Sam murmured.

His hand moving up to scratch her cheek, and he watched with a smile as she closed her eyes, her tail pounding back and forth. It was hard for him to imagine that this dog, this girl was a member of the C'wn Mamau, the legendary hounds of the Wild Hunt. An animal whose entire purpose in life was hunting down ghosts and dragging them back to where they belonged. She had told him once that her people were the cousins of the hellhounds. In fact, hellhounds were dogs that had once been like her, but had been tainted by demons and forced to fall. She'd admitted that it could have been her fate if she'd stayed with the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Azazel. Sam's fingers moved up to scratch behind her perked ears and he listened to his dog groan with pleasure, her head leaning against his chest and her tail pounding a mile a minute. Sam inhaled the scent of wet dog, nearly choking, and coughed. His hound lifted up her head with a questioning twitch of her ears and tilt of her muzzle, her jaw falling open as she panted, her pink tongue lolling to the side of her mouth. _It's hard to believe that she's can be a heartless killer._ One with a very flexible view on human beings. Sam knew, he could never let himself forget that Kelly Jones had no qualms with shooting a human being in the head. The fact that she didn't hunt them was out of respect for him and Dean. _And that humans don't make for very challenging prey._ She was a proud sort of hunter, she wouldn't sink to that level. Sam ran his fingers along Kelly's back, feeling the bumps of her spine beneath his touch and smiling slightly as he stroked her soft fur. _The one thing we never talk about…_ The only subject that was still off limits between them was the time she'd spent with Azazel. _And the fey._ Kelly had told him some of what she remembered, some of what she'd been taught, but Sam knew she hadn't told him everything. She was a very secretive person. It had been that way since the first day they'd met and Sam didn't expect that to change anytime soon.

"I'm okay." He said, with a laugh. The hound snorted in response and fixed him with a cocked head stare, it was almost as if she'd raised her eyebrow. "Yeah, yeah," Sam sighed. "I know you know."

The bond connecting them, the one that had created the tight knot of her in the back of his head, it made him aware of her emotions and whether or not she was in pain. He knew that with it, he could find her, wherever she went on the planet. It was an invisible string connecting them together. _Whether we want to be or not._ Kelly had done this to save his life, to keep Dean's deal with the Crossroad's Demon from going bad. She'd known, even if his brother hadn't, that their connection to the Mother of the C'wn Mamau, a fey known as Mallt-y-Nos the Crone, meant that any mystical arrangement surrounding their souls had to be passed through her first. _And that means offerings._ Kelly had been the offering that had allowed Dean's deal to succeed, giving up her own life and freedom to make a pact with Sam, thus sharing her eternal life with him and making him one of Herne's Hunters, devoting him to continuing the Wild Hunt in the lands of Man. The traitorous Samuel Colt had explained the legend and purpose to Sam when he and his partner Rhett had found them while searching for Kelly. _After she'd been kidnapped by the Yellow-Eyed Demon._ They'd explained that recruiting suitable humans to join the Hunt had been the Crone's way maneuvering around the rules keeping her and her hounds bound in the Otherworld except on All Hallows Eve and the twelve days between Christmas and New Year. The fey were tricky creatures, Sam had learned. They were master manipulators, who never had a clear side. He had thought Mallt-y-Nos friendly when he'd learned about her commitment to the Wild Hunt, but it had been her servants Samuel Colt and Rhett who'd forced Dean to open the Devil's Gate in Wyoming, letting hundreds of demons out to scour the earth. _And I still don't know why._ Sam doubted they'd tell him.

Suddenly, Kelly went stiff beside him. Her head jerking up, ears perked, tail frozen in place, her entire body tensing as she stared off into the distance. Sam's hand paused on her back and he felt her eagerness. It rolled through him like a wave and suddenly, he didn't even have to guess what it was she was listening too. _The Horn._ Sam himself couldn't hear it, though Kelly had assured him he would in time. His fingers tightened on the back of her neck as he felt her desire to go. The call of the Horn was nearly irresistible for her. In the life before she'd become a human, she'd been fey, probably one of the hounds that ran with the hunters, chasing spirits back into the Underworld. The call of the Horn was part of who she was, but Sam was reluctant to let her go join them. He didn't know what it would mean if she did. _Or whether or not she'd come back._ Sam knew that he would have a hard time going on without her. _Dean too._ After all, his brother still loved her. _She's still his whole world._ Even if they'd broken up. _And he won't tell me why._

Off in the distance, Sam heard the sound of baying dogs. Howls that sang through the trees and rebounded through the concrete buildings around them. For whatever reason, the Wild Hunt no longer seemed bound by tradition; it came almost every night these past months since the Devil's Gate had opened. Scouring the land for any of the demons, monsters, and ghosts that had escaped. Usually though, and Sam was thankful for it, it didn't ride near them. He heard the trampling of hooves behind him, the roaring sound of oncoming feet. The baying grew louder and more insistent, and Sam thought he heard the sound of a horn. Kelly stiffened beneath his hands, even tenser than before, her eagerness swelling through Sam, her joy and exhilaration at their presence making his fingers tickle and the back of his mind buzz.

"No, Kelly." Sam whispered. Leaning forward, he wrapped his arms around her neck, pressing his face into her wet fur. "No." They needed her here.

He didn't have to say it. A few moments later the sound of the horn, riders, and dogs drew further off. Vanishing into the darkness of the night, heading to whatever destination and adventure awaited them. When they were finally out of earshot, Kelly relaxed in Sam's hold. She turned her slim muzzle and glanced back at him with bright golden eyes, silently she licked his cheek with her long tongue. Reminding him that she was not going to go, not unless he agreed to let her. She knew her duty was to him. Hard as it was for her to stay, he was her Binder, her master, and her partner, but most of all, a more important reason kept her by his side, Sam Winchester was her best friend. She would not leave him to solve Dean's problem alone, she loved both brothers too much. But she also knew, no matter how much Sam loved her, she could only return his feelings as a supporter and a friend. Silently, she licked his cheek again. She could feel his worry and she would do her best to soothe his fears.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, then, across the park, on the bench; Sam's cell phone began to ring.

***

Dean stared at the girl for several seconds, forcing his jaw to remain closed, even though it wanted to hang agape, and probably hit the floor. He wasn't going to let this fey, this Erin Chang, know that she'd caught him so completely off guard. His mouth worked silently for a few seconds. _What? What? What? What? WHAT?_ "What?" He asked, pleased that he'd kept his voice so level. He was starting to freak out.

_Calm down._ He told himself. _You've dealt with weird shit before._ Hell, he'd dealt with fey before. _And how can I be sure she's telling the truth?_ Sure, she looked like a replacement from amateur hour and her entire appearance was so innocent that it nearly brought down all his defenses. _It's probably meant to do that._ Dean suddenly found himself wishing that he'd remembered to grab the gun he kept under his pillow. _So I can do what exactly? Point it at her?_ For what, she'd answered his question. Hadn't even answered his question with another question, she'd told him exactly what he wanted to know. _So, shooting her won't make things better._ Well, it would probably make him feel better.

"I'm Sam Winchester's partner." The girl named Erin repeated. She'd climbed to her feet; it wasn't a smooth motion, more a jerky one, like she wasn't completely comfortable in her body. Her body shook a little on her feet as she crossed her arms over her chest, fixing him with a stern stare. A stern one! "My name is Erin Chang." She said. "I've come from the Otherworld to call him to the Wild Hunt in the name of my master Gwyn-ap-Nudd." Her voice was growing more insistent and more confident as she continued. "I demand that, if you know of his existence as you claim, that you tell me where he is." Her lower lip stuck out in a pout, her face the image of stubbornness as she glared at him.

_This can't be happening to me._ Dean thought, feeling a little faint. _This girl's off her meds, off her rocker!_ Kelly was Sam's partner. Kelly had called Sam to the Wild Hunt in service of some fey named the Crone. _Mallt-y-Nos._ Well, it was something like that. Dean shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

"Who do you work for again?" Dean asked. _Sam's already owes his ass to one fey._ Dean would have hated to find out that his soul belonged to another. _What about me?_ Did his deal make him chopped liver? _Am I such a sucky hunter that no one wants to bond me?_ He knew in his heart it wasn't true, but what could he really say on the subject. _Sam, Sam, always Sammy!_ Well, Dean didn't feel like playing the game.

"Gwyn-ap-Nudd, you stupid mortal." Erin tossed her head. "He has need of your brother Sam Winchester and sent me to bring him to the Wild Hunt."

_So, she's one of the Wild Hunt hounds._ But the fey she'd mentioned was unfamiliar to him. Dean couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. The whole thing was just too ridiculous.

"Why are you laughing?" Erin snapped. "Mortal! I demand to know! Why are you laughing at me?"

"Because," Dean snorted, straightening up. "You're two Cracker Jack boxes short of the prize, sweetheart."

He knew he probably shouldn't be laughing, it would only make the situation worse, but he couldn't help it. _It's not every day I get to send a fey packing._ Or get the better of one. Ever since they'd come into his life, he'd wanted them booted out. Wished he could go back to the older simpler days when Kelly had just seemed like a normal girl tagging along with them as he and Sam hunted monsters, demons, and evil critters of all kinds. _Including fey._ Dean hadn't seen many, or really any, since Rhett. But he'd known they were coming. _The fey are like flies to honey._ They couldn't keep their noses out of any sticky situations.

"What?" Erin asked. She looked confused again, staring at him as if she'd been lost in translation. "I don't…." She paused, looking very young again. "I don't understand what you mean." Her mouth tightened as her lower lip shook, was she on the verge of tears? Dean nearly shook his head. "What is a…a Cracker Jack?"

Dean stared at her. Even Kelly had known about Cracker Jacks. "It's a…" He paused. "Never mind." He sighed. "I just meant you're late by a couple months, Sam's already got a hound." When the girl's forehead crinkled in confusion, he added. "He's already been called to your 'Wild Hunt'." Dean put Wild Hunt in air quotes as he spoke. "So, you should probably just go home."

"A Cracker Jack." The lightly tanned Asian girl said in a troubled voice, ignoring him completely. Well, at least she looked like an Asian girl. Who knew what strange bodily shape lay beneath that exterior. She could have fur and fangs like Kelly or a tree woman, maybe she even had tentacles, Dean didn't know and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out. She looked up at him with large inky eyes, her mouth pursed; curiosity filling her expression. "Is that… is that some sort of human colloquialism? Or is it a way by which you count the changing seasons?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Dean demanded. "I said that Sam's already been…"

"Probably a clerical error." Erin waved his words away, tapping her chin as she moved about the room. "Easily remedied after I meet this…" She glanced at him again, her mouth twisting with distaste. "Kelly…" She turned back, looking at the tossed bed sheets and thrown away clothes. She took a few quick steps to the table and picked up the lamp, peering at it with narrow eyes. "Is this your dwelling?" She asked. She seemed to have completely forgot any urgency to track down Sam. She was staring at the lamp as if she'd never seen one before. Turning it over slowly between her tanned fingers, a marveling expression in her eyes. "What is this?" She held up the light. "It seems to be some sort of light emitter, but its power source is strange." She glanced over at him. "Do you light it by some varying form of low-grade technomancy? It doesn't seem to have been touched by any kind of pyro magicks." Her eyebrows rose; her hear-shaped face wide and open, her dark eyelashes fluttering over her eyes with intoxicating innocence.

Dean Winchester wasn't the slightest bit amused. "It's a lamp." He said. His voice flat as he crossed his arms over his chest, he didn't appreciate her starting to dig through their stuff, and wasn't amused by the questions she was throwing at him. _Is she some kind of retarded?_ He wondered. How could anyone not know what a lamp was?

"A lamp." She repeated, the word sounded strange as it came off her tongue. It was almost as if she was caressing it gently as she ran her thumb along the brass edge. "A strange word."

"I thought you wanted to find…"

"This where you primitives dwell, isn't it?" The girl asked. She glanced up at him again, setting the lamp back on the table. "He and this Kelly will have to come back here at some point." She was ducking underneath the table, examining the wire that had come off the lamp and picking up his boxer shorts to sniff them. Her face writhing in disgust and muttering something about "undergarments" she snorted and dropped them back onto the floor, standing up quickly and hitting her head on the bottom of the table. She yelped, covering the back of her head with her hands as she crouched rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.

Dean would have burst out laughing again if he'd thought he could get away with it without the follow-up glare. _Too funny._ His mind chuckled. Dean had never seen anyone so inept in his entire life. He nearly felt pity for her but then she'd just sniffed his boxers and that didn't put him in a charitable mood. His eyebrow rose as he watched her whimper on the ground, she was so stuck up, it nearly drove him crazy. _Can't wait for her to meet my girl._ He thought, stopping himself. Kelly wasn't his girl anymore. _For her to meet Kelly._ He didn't doubt his ex-girlfriend would cut this little minx to ribbons and kick her out into the open street. _Which is a shame._ Dean was almost starting to like her. _Almost._

"He'll have to return here eventually." Erin finished. Rubbing the back of her head, she stood up, more slowly than she had before and eyeing the bottom of the table as if it were a poisonous snake ready to bite her. "I'll wait here for him."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Dean muttered. He wanted this kid out of his hair as quickly as possible. _Don't want to be stuck with yet another baby sitting detail._ His arms tightened over his chest.

"You're a mortal." Erin sniffed. "What do you know?"

"Plenty." Dean snapped. He was half ready to go searching for his knife, the iron one he kept on hand in case any of the fey decided to come calling. But it was in his bag by the door and he didn't know what this little twenty something was capable of….yet.

"Maybe," Erin waved her hand, dismissing his comment. "Maybe you know a lot for a mortal, but…" She trailed off. Her eyes catching on a glint of silver, she'd seen the barrel of Dean's 1911 Colt semi-automatic poking out from beneath the pillow on his bed. Catching the older Winchester off guard, she took a few quick steps to the bed. Bouncing on the springy mattress, Erin tossed the pillow away.

"Hey!" Dean snapped. In a few moments, he was at the bed next to her, but Erin had already picked up the gun and was looking it over with curious eyes. She lifted it, her finger on the trigger and pointed it at his chest. Dean froze. _Is she crazy?_ He wondered.

"What's this?" Erin asked. "Some sort of weapon?" Dean opened his mouth, but she ignored him as she looked down across the barrel. What was he going to do? "It seems kind of odd?" She added, her free hand moving to touch the knobs, and she clicked one down, flicking off the safety. Dean stiffened.

"Put that down." Dean said through clenched teeth.

"Why?" Erin asked. She looked up at him with wide innocent eyes. "What can this thing of metal do to you?" Her lips twitched slightly at the corners as she touched the filigree engravings that marked the handle.

***

On it's fourth ring, Sam picked up the phone. Pressing it to his ear as the hound shifted back into Kelly and took the Frisbee from her mouth. He said. "Hello?" Watching as she lay the large plastic disk down on the green painted wooden bench. Looking up at him with brown-gold eyes filled with distinct curiosity.

"Hey, Sam!" The sound of Bobby's voice came from the other end of the line, the buzzing sound of the road filtering in through the speakers.

Sam covered the mouth of the phone with his hand, and looked at Kelly. The moonlight caught on her water-drenched hair, she was soaked, dark brown strands from her undone pony tail hanging limply about her cheeks as she tugged off her mud covered leather duster. "It's Bobby." Sam said.

"What's he calling about?" Kelly asked, shaking out her hair and combing in with her fingers. In nothing but a white, now brown stained, tank top, the scars around her wrists and neck were easily visible, making Sam's throat tighten. The dim overhead light glanced off of the smooth twisted skin, giving the scars a silver sheen in the darkness.

Sam just shook his head, uncovering the mouthpiece as Bobby spoke. "Whatcha doin'?" Bobby asked.

Kelly waved her hands in front of her to indicate she wasn't there as Sam smiled. These days, she wanted to keep the fact that balls and Frisbees easily distracted her from as many people as possible. Not that Sam could blame her. _I'd be embarrassed by it too._ Kelly was never sure where her old friends like Bobby and Ellen came down on the fact she wasn't human. _And she doesn't want them to know she's started to enjoy the time she spends as a dog._ Probably out of fear that they'd start to see her a different way. After the Winchester brothers, Bobby and Ellen were the only family she had. _I know they accept her._ But Sam had a hard time convincing Kelly of that. _Dean's the only one who knows about the Frisbee._ And his brother hadn't made use of that information, yet anyway. _Just give Dean time and he will._

"You know," Sam said. "Same old."

"You buried in that book again?" Bobby asked.

Sam felt a pang of guilt as his eyes darted to the leather bound volume he'd borrowed from Bobby's collection. It was the closest thing he'd found to an authority of demon deals, but after two months even he was starting to admit that it was worthless. He glanced at Kelly, who shrugged.

"Sam," Bobby said. "You and Kelly, cause I'm assumin' she's with you," Sam gave a start. "Say hi to her for me."

Sam glanced at Kelly. "Bobby says hi."

He watched Kelly's lips quirk into a smile as she tossed her shoulder length hair back behind her. Tugging her fingers out from between the strands and grimacing at the mud, leaves and grime gracing her fingers, she shook her head. "He knows everything doesn't he?" She muttered, a touch of pink glowing in the apples of her cheeks. Still, Sam thought she looked pleased.

Bobby continued. "If you guys wanna break Dean free of that demon deal, you ain't gonna find the answer in no book."

"Then where Bobby?" Sam asked in a resigned voice.

"Kid, I wish I knew." Bobby said. There was a pause. "So where's your brother?" Sam glanced at Kelly. "If Kelly's with you, then he must be elsewhere."

Sam winced, knowing that Bobby was right. Every night when they weren't working, Dean would try to put as much distance between himself and Kelly as he could. It was a wonder he hadn't bolted yet. "Probably, polling the electorate." Sam said in a wry voice. It was his way of mentioning the double mint twins he'd seen pick up earlier that evening. The action that had left both him and Kelly exiled from the motel room. He glanced at Kelly; she was studying the wood grains visible through the bench's green paint, her fingers tugging at her dark wet hair.

"What?" Bobby asked. The reference going over his head as road noise buzzed through his phone.

"Doesn't matter Bobby," Sam said. "He's not here and we are."

"Well, you guys better go get him and pack it up." Bobby said. "I think I finally found something."

With the exception of the Wild Hunt, any and all supernatural activity for the past few months had been nil. And if the demons and ghosties had been acting up, they'd done it on such a small scale that it was barely noticeable. While the Wild Hunt's presence provided a notable reason as to why, even Kelly had admitted that the lack of activity was unnerving. With the amount of demons that had been set loose, they should be tearing the world to pieces, providing the perfect excuse for the Fey's return. That was Kelly's guess anyway; she always took her people's plans into account, even if she didn't know what they were. The fact that Bobby had finally located a job pulled an immense weight off of Sam's shoulders. Kelly had assured him that his higher ups would eventually be sending work their way, but she'd also admitted that they were giving him a grace period with which he was supposed to settle into his new state of existence. The last couple months had nearly driven him crazy with nothing to do. _And between Dean and Kelly's constant sniping._ He knew they too had been frustrated by the fallout after the Devil's Gate had opened. _With nothing to vent their anger at except each other._ When Dean wasn't getting drunk and mooning over girls in bars and when Kelly wasn't starting fights or being distracted by Frisbees, the pair were practically at each other's throats. _And it's only a matter of time before blood spills._ Sam thought. His money though, was on Kelly smacking Dean first.

"He find us a job?" Kelly asked. It was impossible to hide the eagerness in her voice as she crossed her arms over her chest. A limp strand of hair fell across her eyes, dripping between her brows and over her nose, making her look like a drenched rat. No dog really enjoyed getting doused and Kelly, for all that she liked showers, was no exception. Sam tried to keep himself from chuckling at the eagerness mixing into her forlorn expression. Slowly, he nodded. "Well," Kelly sighed, reaching for her muddy coat. She shook it out, sending globs of mud flying. "We better go get Dean." Again, Sam nodded.

AN: Okay, I'm finally leaving an author's note. Welcome everyone to the sequel of _Down the Rabbit Hole: Book 1 Grim Rising._ I hope you've enjoyed _Grim Fate_ and it's newest addition to the DTRH family so far. As you can tell, the first story arc is going to involve the first episode of S3 the Seven Deadly Sins, and add it's own spin to things. I'm really excited about this book, it's new characters, more development on who Kelly was before she was human, the addition of more fey, more Herne's Hunters, as well as new threats and antagonists like the Baba Yaga. I'm going to try to keep this book shorter than the last, but as you all know I have a tendency to get carried away, plus there are quite a few good episodes in S3 to use, even with the extra arcs I intend to add.

Don't worry, Bela and Ruby will still play important roles in the story. They'll probably even be a little expanded in the case of Bela (I'll try to make her less hate able). I'll leave it to you to guess which OC is paired with who, though if you read _Down the Rabbit Hole_, you probably don't have to guess. This may be the last chapter where I'll be summarizing what happened in the previous story (except when the plot demands of course), so if you haven't read Book 1 you should, though I'm sorry for the past few spoiler-iffic chapters. Lol, but it is a sequel.

I want to say a special thanks to Elm Treigh and angeleyenc for their reviews. I loved your opinions and reviews on the first book girls! I can't wait to see how you'll react to Grim Fate's storyline! ^_^ Thank you so much! My muse loves her reviews, the more she gets the faster she writes!

So, remember, you want faster updates! Leave reviews! Lol.

In Chapter 3, the Uninvited One: Kelly finally meets Erin, sparks and fireworks ensue (like you knew they would) and the group heads out to meet up with Bobby.


	4. Chapter 3: The Uninvited Guest

Chapter Three: The Uninvited Guest

Erin frowned. Staring at the short blond man with wide black eyes, her pupils almost unnoticeable in the midst of her dark irises. She looked from his face to the gun in her hand. She held it loosely, with one finger over the trigger. But she'd only put that there since it seemed like the logical place. Her eyes moved to the pale man stiffening in front of her and the thing in her hand. It was cool beneath her touch. Her fingers growing hot and sweaty, that was new. She didn't really like this glamour; it made people stare at her oddly. The same way he was doing now. _Dean Winchester._ He was the brother of Sam. _Though I don't think he told me his name._ She'd read it in Sam's file before she'd come. Her index finger tapped the side of the gun. There was a soft pop and the man, Dean, jumped.

"What?" Erin asked. She was genuinely curious. _Why is he so frightened?_

"You're threatening me!" Dean snapped.

"I'm too far away to bash you over the head with it." Erin looked up, confusion present in her eyes. "What else could I possibly do? It doesn't have an edge!" She was surprised by the way his face had gone white. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Dean's mouth worked as he choked back his laughter. Freaked out as he was, he couldn't help but find this situation funny. "Are you…" He trailed off, staring at her. She certainly looked normal. Better than normal, she had that same too beautiful to be real thing going on with her face. She looked like the kind of girl Dean would have no problem curling up next to in the dead of the night. _Except that she's got that perfect face._ The kind that could have made her a supermodel. _And I know what that means._ He swallowed. Besides, he didn't like women with teeny weeny busts. "Are you functionally retarded?" He asked.

It was in that moment that there was a hesitant tap on the door. Dean heaved a sigh of relief as he watched Erin Chang lower the gun and peer past him, her eyebrows raised. There was another set of knocks. "Dean?" Sam called. "Are you in there?"

"Yeah, Sammy." Dean said. Walking forward swiftly, he put his hand on Erin's shoulder and tried to take the gun from her. The girl yelped loudly and tried to tear away from him.

"What are you doing?" She yelled. "Why are you touching me?" The hand with the gun flew up towards the ceiling as she tried to beat him over the head with it. "Let go!" The pair scuffled as Dean reached for the gun, trying to get it and the safety so the thing wouldn't fire.

"Having fun?" Sam called from the doorway. He sounded irked and more than a little curious. "Sounds rough in there. You decent?"

"Not—" Dean grunted. "Really, Sammy!" It took him a few seconds to realize that he'd answered the wrong question. _Shit!_ The girl whipped her head around, sinking her teeth into his shoulder and Dean bit back a snarl. What was up with this kid? He got that she wasn't human but did she really have to behave like a crazy person?

"Oh…" Came Sam's slow response.

"Well, Bobby called." That was Kelly's no nonsense voice. She sounded irritated. "He's got a job for us, so finish it up."

"I'm trying." Dean responded. Then he paused.

Why the hell was he still pretending that he was having sex? _Why don't I just yell that some strange fey's attacking me and have them bust in here guns blazing?_ Because he didn't want Kelly to see him in his birthday suit? _No._ He was more than happy to rub her nose in the fact he was having sex. Because he didn't want Sammy to get shot by accident? _No._ Panting, he tried to keep the girl still. She was slippery and it was hard to keep a grip on her. _This is stupid!_ He thought. Was he doing this because he wanted to keep up the pretense that he was having sex? _That's it in one._ Childish, stupid, and somebody was going to get shot. He pulled the small slim girl around.

"Hey!" Erin yelped as Dean's hand captured her wrist, holding the gun straight upwards. "Let me go!"

"Need some help in there, Dean?" Kelly called. Her voice lilting with amusement, Dean knew she could hear everything that Erin was saying. He didn't doubt that Sam could either. The walls of the motel were paper-thin. "Or does she need help getting away from you?"

Dean didn't appreciate the implication. _She damn well knows I only sleep with women who are willing!_ Dean thought through grit teeth.

"Let me go!" Erin hissed. She twisted trying to get free and in her haste, her finger came down on the trigger of the gun and it went off with a blast.

Outside, Kelly and Sam didn't even have to exchange looks as the younger Winchester fished out his key card and swiped it through the door lock. As soon as the light turned green, his hands were on the handle shoving it open. In a flash of motion the two were in the motel room, facing Dean and the young Asian girl, their eyes wide with surprise as water dripped off of their pants to splash on the fish covered carpet. Their guns in hand and out, pointed at the floor as Sam's jaw hung open with surprise. This wasn't one of the young women he'd seen Dean leave the bar with. He felt an odd emotion tighten in the back of Kelly's head and glanced at her questioningly. She shook her head minutely, a small smile teasing the corners of her mouth as she lowered her gun.

Overhead, there was a small black hole in the white ceiling, cracks spreading out like spider webs around it. Small chunks fell loose from the rest and fell down to hit Erin on the head and cover her and Dean's hair with a fine white powder. Dean's hazel eyes flicked from his brother to Kelly and seeing the amusement in his ex-girlfriend's eyes, growled.

"She get the jump on you, Dean?" Kelly asked. Tilting her head to the side as she crossed her arms over her chest. For the moment, she was ignoring the girl, even though the smells and the spicy scent wafting through the air told her this one was trouble. _Great._ She thought with a withheld sigh. _More fey._ As if the Wild Hunt running amok all over the Earth wasn't enough.

Snatching his gun back from Erin, Dean snapped. "No!" He stalked across the room to his bag. He could feel Kelly's eyes lingering on his ass and while that would normally send happy chills singing up his spine, he wasn't in the mood for it. Grabbing a loose pair of jeans, he clicked the safety of the gun on, and stepped into them. Yanking them up around his waist and buttoning them slowly, he stuffed the 1911 Colt into the back of his pants and turned around. "She's here to pick a bone with you, Kelly." A smirk flicked over his lips. "I'm just sorry you couldn't catch me during one of nature's most beautiful acts."

"Then, I'd need a knife to cut out my eyes." Kelly replied, her gun vanishing back beneath her muddy black coat, as she looked from him to the short young woman. She paused. "On second thought, I think I'll just slice off your balls." A twisted smile flickering on her mouth as she moved to the plaid duffle bag still lying on the floor, she glanced up over the edge of the second twin bed and winked. "After all, women love eunuchs, Dean."

"I suppose that includes you?" Dean asked, crossing his arms. Erin Chang was forgotten for the moment, he didn't even notice the way she stared at him in confusion. "Didn't peg you for the kind that likes a man who was only half a man." He grabbed his brown t-shirt off the floor and yanked it over his head. He didn't want to ask why both she and his brother were drenched and muddy.

"'Fraid that would require having a human heart." Kelly responded. "And an ardent desire to escape pregnancy."

She'd turned back to her bag. It took Dean a second to realize she'd thrown off her jacket and her shirt. He found his eyes staring fixedly at her smooth creamy skin and the tiny scars cutting up her back, his fingers itching to undo the clasp of her black bra. He almost forgot that Sam was in the room. Dean glanced at his brother and was satisfied to see Sammy blushing madly and pointedly looking away.

"Or any desire at all to breed." Dean added. Pulling his gun out from behind his pants, he snapped it open and checked the chamber. His finger itching on the trigger as he clicked it shut and re-cocked it, loading in the next round. He resisted the urge to point it at the back of her head.

"You know I've got that." Kelly said. "I'm just more interested in hunters than men who run around bars every night looking for the next score." Dean's cheek flinched as he ground his teeth together, watching as she straightened up, pulling a long-sleeved blue shirt over her head. His eyes stuck on her smooth stomach, wincing slightly at her jab as the fabric swung down over her midsection. "You know," Kelly looked up at him with a caustic smile. "Serious men."

"Well, we all know where you can find a serious man."

Erin was looking from one to the other in confusion, her mouth tightening as she listened to the banter flying back and forth between them. _What are they talking about?_ Was a eunuch some kind of sexually impaired individual? _And what does that have to do with balls?_ She remembered those as being something that children used to bounce on the ground. _Why involve them in a conversation about Dean Winchester's sexual inadequacies?_ She crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the tall dark haired brunette standing a foot away from the girl. He was watching her too, mostly with curiosity. She felt her heart jump a little; he was as handsome as any images she'd seen. _Sam Winchester._ Her mind giggled. _I can't fail now._ She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.

"Dean?" Sam asked. He watched his brother finish stuffing his belongings into his bag and turn to face him. There was a flash of something in his brother's hazel eyes, jealousy? Annoyance? Sam wasn't sure. He swallowed. "Who's your friend?"

Dean paused as nearby Kelly Jones stiffened. "Friend would be a stretch, Sammy." He replied. "Frankly, she's…"

"I'm here to speak to you." Erin cut in. She stepped in front of Dean, her five foot two frame not managing to hide the taller man from view. She tucked a strand of black hair back behind her ear as she stared up at him. "I'm, well, my name is Erin Chang." The words trembled on her tongue as she shifted uneasily from foot to foot. She cast a glance over at the taller girl, the one who had to be Kelly, only to find her watching with an amused smirk. Erin felt her heart beat quicken with anger. "And I'm here on behalf of Gwyn-ap-Nudd to call you…."

"You a halvesie?" Kelly asked. She'd taken a seat on the bed. Her gaze flicking from Sam to Erin, her head resting on her palm, watching with raised eyebrows.

Erin's eyes snapped to her in surprise. How had she known? "What?" She asked, suddenly distracted.

"You don't smell full blooded." Kelly shrugged. "So, I'm a little skeptical." She tilted her head to the side, her legs crossing beneath her on the bed as she leaned back. A soft frown on her face, her lips quirked as if she was listening to a private joke, she continued. "It's hard to believe anyone actually sent you here."

"You shouldn't have bonded him!" Erin snapped. Her lips curling back as she flung an accusing finger at Sam. "You shouldn't! You were banished! You had no right!"

Over Erin's head, Dean glanced at Sam and mouthed the words, "Banished?" Sam gave his a quick shaggy shake. He had no idea what this Erin Chang was talking about either.

"And the C'wn Annwn have no right to pry into affairs that don't concern them." Kelly replied, her voice frosty. She gazed at Erin with cool brown-gold eyes, a touch of pity reflecting there for a moment and before slipping away. A single black eyebrow rose over a curious eye, and she added. "If you really are a servant of Gwyn-ap-Nudd." She sounded doubtful.

"He belongs to my pack as much as he does to yours!" Erin yelled. She could feel herself losing her patience, she could feel herself snapping, but she just couldn't help it. _She's driving me insane!_ Erin hated how the other girl was judging her as the interloper. Her! _She's the bitch peeing all over something that isn't hers!_ She had no right! None at all! "What you did was an unauthorized… You broke the law! You broke several laws!" Her small hands balled into tight fists. "The only way you can redeem yourself is to pass his bond to me and go back to the Otherworld to face your sentencing!"

"Can't exactly do that if I'm banished, now can I?" Kelly replied. She didn't sound the least bit worried.

"Kelly?" Sam asked. "What's going on?" He could figure that they were discussing the manner in which he and Kelly had made their agreement. Something he was still fuzzy on. _And then there's this whole thing about banishment._ Samuel Colt had intimated that Kelly had helped him and Rhett open the Devil's Gate, even though he'd never mentioned for what purpose. Sam knew that Kelly had a life before she'd become human, but he didn't know and she either didn't or wasn't willing to tell. Whichever turned out to be true, Sam had decided that he wouldn't press her. Now, he was regretting the decision.

"They're arguing over you, Sammy." Dean snapped. His arms were crossed over his chest. "Erin here seems to think you belong to her."

"I'm his legal partner!" Erin growled.

Dean suppressed a sigh. "While Kelly's just some interloper who snagged you while you were down and out."

"She's breaking the law!" Erin repeated. Her arms over her chest, a dark angry stare piercing Kelly's eyes. "You're breaking the law!"

"You get two hot babes ready to come to blows over your ass, little bro." Dean continued. He was trying to swallow his jealousy but wasn't managing it well. "You're the luckiest man in the world."

"Not so lucky in that we need to head out," Kelly continued. She pushed herself upright on the bed and swung her legs over the edge. Grabbing the black strap of her duffle, she pulled it up onto her shoulder as she stood. "Bobby's waiting for us at a house outside of Lincoln. He's got a job." She glanced over at Erin, who was trying to cover her confusion. "That's in Nebraska, sweetie."

"Don't call me sweetie." Erin snapped.

"Whoa, whoa!" Dean said. "You can't be expecting to take her with us?"

"I'm not." Kelly responded. "I want her to go home, tail tucked between her legs to Daddy." She glanced at Erin again. "Who is your daddy?"

"I'm going anywhere!" Erin growled. Her dark brows lowering over her eyes as she glared mutinously at Kelly. "I came a long way and I won't be…" She trailed off again, surprised by the question. "My father's Randal, pack leader of the C'wn Annwn! First of the clan after master Gwyn-ap-Nudd!" She lifted her chin defiantly.

"Oh," Kelly nodded. She glanced from Sam to Dean, who'd been lost in translation, and shrugged. "Spoiled rich kid."

"I am not!" Erin shouted. White-hot fury burned behind her eyes, but it was compounded by struggling snippets of embarrassment. It was the kind that ate away at her confidence. "Bitch!" She grumbled under her breath. "I'm here to see justice brought to…"

"We can't just leave her here, Dean." Sam said. "She fell into our laps, we've got a responsibility to her."

"Like hell we do, Sammy." Dean snapped. "Kelly came to us with little understanding of what happened." He glared at her for a minute. "And it was only her damned stubbornness keepin' us from sendin' her back where she belonged."

"Which would probably have killed me for good." Kelly added.

Dean snorted. "Either way," he continued. "She," his finger drove a point at Erin. "She knows exactly who she is and how she's getting home. I say you tell her thanks but no thanks, so we can get going." He glanced at Kelly, surprised for a moment to be landing on the same side. He hated to admit that he agreed with her. He frowned as Kelly grinned at him. He hated admitting that her smiles made his stomach fizzle.

"I'm not leaving." Erin snapped. "And I'm not a spoiled rich kid! Whatever that means…" She glanced at Sam, realizing she wasn't making the best impression, a small flush coloring her cheeks. "I'm here and I'm staying."

"Good, you stay while we leave." Kelly turned away. "Come on, Sam." She indicated the door with a toss of her head. She reached out, her hand resting on his bicep and he glanced down at her. Kelly could feel his curiosity building and suppressed a sigh. She knew they'd probably be taking this annoying kid with them. _Sam'll make sure of it._ Kelly nearly groaned as she glanced back at Dean. He looked about as excited as she did.

"You called her a halvesie?" Sam asked. The word turning oddly on his tongue as he glanced down at her, there was a questioning expression in his soft brown eyes. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Kelly sighed. "That she's only half Hound." She cast another annoyed glance over her shoulder at Erin. "No matter who her father is, she's only a half-breed and a young one at that."

"Young as you?" Sam asked.

"Sammy!" Dean snapped. "Let's just go!"

"No, Dean." Sam replied. "She came here to talk to me, so I should hear her out."

"Sammy, you can't really believe…"

"I want to hear her out." Sam glanced down at Kelly again. "Is she as young as you, Kelly?"

Kelly shook her head. "Younger." She said. "Though," Kelly added a bit sheepishly. "On the books she may look older. But before I was…" She paused again, swallowing. "Cast out."

"Banished!" Erin spat.

"Before I was sent down to become human," Kelly repeated, frowning at Erin. "Before that I was an adult, a full fledged member of the C'wn Mamau. I did my obedience training and ran the required two years with the hunt." Her mouth quirked, revealing her chagrin over her lost memory. "Or I think I did. Either way," An accusing finger arced through the air as she pointed at Erin. "I'd guess that she's barely been outside of her mother's womb or her master's court." She frowned at Erin. "I doubt you've even spent any time in the kennels with your brothers and sisters. Done any training."

Erin blanched. "I-I have! I have!"

"Go home." Kelly said. "Whatever you think, you aren't ready for this. I doubt your father even knows you're gone," she paused and shifted from foot to foot. "And when he discovers that you are, he'll find you." Erin opened her mouth to protest, but Kelly continued on. "He'll find you and he'll blame us. Mostly me." She swallowed. "For not forcing you to go back."

"I'm not going! I'm a member of the C'wn Annwn. My father…"

"Your father babied you." Kelly replied. "And you're lucky he separated you out from your siblings. I doubt I was ever so fortunate as to have known who gave birth to me." Deep down, she knew that her siblings were bred for the hunt, treated the same way as men did when they bred their dogs. Perhaps she had stayed with her mother for a few months before being weaned, but she doubted it. Pups were taken from their mothers early and deposited in their own kennels. Her kind were born as puppies first and eventually learned to take a human shape when they came of age. The Crone's servants and Kennel Master trained them. Any fuzzy memories she had of her first days were of him. "He never intended this life for you." She continued. "Go home."

"I won't! I can't! You were mortal, you don't understand!"

"I'll bet you haven't even learned how to take your other shape yet." Kelly said. She sighed heavily, sparing a moment to glance up at her master. "How to change from one to the other."

When Kelly had relearned it had been without much power, shifting was always harder in the mortal world without a Binder to share energy with. But when she had it was much like relearning how to ride a bicycle. _More painful though._ The memory of how had made it easy. _Even though I was something less than what I'd been._ Even if she was barely older than Erin Chang, she had been made so by previous life experience and the Yellow-Eyed Demon. _This is no place for a child._ Seeing Erin's slow nod, she understood. _It'd be suicide to let her stay here._ Especially if what she said about her father was true. _I'd be screwed six ways until Sunday._ When he'd kill her. She swallowed.

"I can't go home!" Erin yelled. She could feel herself growing frantic. After all, she'd never, never in a million years thought that this Kelly person would this good at reading people, especially her. _Father never mentioned her when he talked about the Crone's plans for them._ She knew Gwyn-ap-Nudd had been preparing his own surprise for the Winchester boys, a game that her father had a hand in. _But they never mentioned her._ They'd never mentioned why they'd lost interest either. Hot wet tears streaked down her cheeks and she was surprised to find them there. She was so aggravated, so desperate, that she hadn't noticed she'd started to cry. She glared up at Kelly between her tears, but she didn't see any pity on the other woman's face. Just smooth features and a small smile that never reached the brown-gold depths of her cold eyes. "I can't! I can't!"

"Kelly?" Sam's hand was on Kelly's shoulder. "Let's hear her reasons."

"She's a sheltered, spoiled child, Sam." Kelly replied. She frowned at him. Sometimes, his heart was too soft for his own good.

"Sam, we should get going." Dean added.

"I want to know why she can't go home." Sam said. He was still staring at Kelly with earnest eyes. "If she's in trouble, we should help her."

"Help a fey?" Dean choked. "Sammy, you remember what happened last time we trusted one of these…things?" He glanced at Kelly and saw her gazing at him with cold eyes. He'd assumed she'd know that he hadn't lumped her in with the rest. _Obviously, I was wrong._

"So, we're things now?" Kelly asked.

"I traded bastards out for something more polite." Dean said through clenched teeth. He didn't want this thing to be decided without him. _Sammy's always been too soft by half._ And this kid unnerved him, even more than Kelly did. _That's an achievement._ But it was probably only because he knew her better. _She'd freak the hell out of me otherwise._

"It's wonderful to know how you feel about me, Dean." Kelly said, her voice sweet.

_Too sweet._ "Scamp." Dean grumbled. The insult wasn't really offensive enough, but he was running out of ideas.

"Con artist." She replied in the same prim voice, mimicking him.

He glanced up at her and saw that she was grinning. Dean shook his head. "Bitch." He muttered.

"Douche." She replied.

Sam shook his head. He would leave them to their squabbling. _At least they'll both be distracted while I figure out what to do with this girl._ He thought, turning back to Erin. "Erin, right?" He gazed at her tear-streaked face, his heart giving a tug as she nodded miserably. "Okay, why can't you go home, Erin?"

"Because my new mother is going to kill me." Erin replied. Slowly, she reached her hands up to scrub her eyes and already reddened cheeks.

"You're step mother?" Sam asked. He was confused. He'd thought she'd come to make a pact with him, or make Kelly give her the bond. He wasn't sure if that was possible, but Erin seemed to think that it was.

Erin paused, seeming confused by the word and glanced back at Kelly for clarification. The older girl had stopped her bickering with Dean after she'd spoken and was looking at her appraising eyes. Her expression was passive, not giving away her feelings on the subject, but Erin was sure that she was skeptical. Finally, she nodded.

"Yes," she said. "My step mother. She wants me dead." Swallowing a gulp of air, she crushed her body between her arms as she looked around the room. Everyone had gone silent, they were staring at her, expecting a story. "After the hellgate opened." Erin muttered, her fingers seizing the front of her shirt, examining it with watery eyes. "My mother was on the border, she sensed that things had gone….wrong. She went to investigate and she…" Erin swallowed again, her throat suddenly very dry. "And she died."

"And you blame us for the Devil's Gate opening?" Sam asked in a patient voice.

"You opened the gate?" Erin asked in wonderment. Her gaze swept the group, seeing the acknowledgement in their eyes; she tightened her grip on her shirt.

"Your mother was not a Hound." Kelly said.

"No, no." Erin shook her head. "She was one of the Green Ladies, a daughter of the Green Man. She met my father in the Annwn courts, she left the Green Isle and the Summer Court for him."

"Even though he was just a lowly Hound?" Kelly asked. Her voice and the raised eyebrow only accentuated her skepticism; it was only Sam's hand squeezing her shoulder that quieted her.

"She loved him." Erin's voice was fierce. "She loved him and took care of me! She kept me safe from the others! She believed that the only way…"

"The only way you'd be safe was to take your place among the lowly Hounds of the Wild Hunt."

Erin's eyes flashed. "My kindred are more celebrated than yours!"

"I'm sure you're _kindred_, refuse to acknowledge your existence." Kelly said in a dry voice. "If they did, you'd be in the Kennels, safe away from your mother." Her upper lip curled with disgust. "Instead, you're here, one of the mixed-bloods believing you have a right to claim what is…" Sam's hand squeezed her shoulder again and she grew quiet, but sent an angry glare up at him. "Instead, you claim your new mother wants you dead. Why?"

"My step-mother is a hag." Erin muttered.

"Well, that's not very nice." Dean commented. He'd edged a bit closer to the door.

"I'm sure there's no reason for names." Sam said

"No." Kelly said. "Her new mother is a hag." She glanced from one man to another. "A figure out of folklore."

"An ugly old woman at first look, but if a generous hearted mortal kisses her, she becomes a maiden in the bloom of youth." Erin added. She glanced at Kelly, surprised that the other woman was able to follow her. "She met my father during one of his travels and he kissed her, returning her to full beauty." Erin swallowed. "But her nasty backstabbing personality remained. She hated me and kept trying to talk father into sending me down to the Kennels where I belonged." Sam watched in surprise as the tiny Asian girl shivered at the thought, her open and innocent features taking on a frightened edge. "A hag." She muttered.

"So, you found Sam's file?" Kelly continued.

"I did." Erin nodded. "Father left it out and open. Though, I don't think he meant for me to read it." She swallowed. "He's always hoped I'd take after mother's side…"

"I can understand why." Kelly snorted.

But it didn't say anything about him already having a partner. It just mentioned that Gwyn-ap-Nudd had claim on his soul through his mother's grandmother, and that he would be a good mark for the Game. Our king is in a constant game of wits with his sister, the Crone. I thought that if, maybe, if I could win the mortal to our side of the Hunt then…"

"Then, you'd get your father's approval and get to skip being treated like shit in the Kennels or being forced back to the Green Isle." Kelly said. "And your mother's side of the family."

"I don't know my grandfather!" Erin snapped. "Or my aunts and with the situation being what it is, with the Otherworld in uproar, and the gates guarded more closely than ever…"

"You decided you'd take your chances in the mortal world." Dean finished. He glanced from Kelly to Sam and then back at Erin. To his surprise he watched Erin glance back at him, warmth in her eyes and he shifted uncomfortably. This entire thing was sounding like a sop story; one he didn't know whether or not he should believe. Kelly seemed to be buying into it and Dean knew Erin had caught his brother. _Hook, line, and sinker._ "With us primitives." He added.

"I'm sorry, I lied." Erin muttered.

Dean burst out laughing as Kelly shook her head with a loud sigh. "I've never known any fey to apologize for lying." He said with a smile. He didn't like the girl, but he was willing to admit she had spunk. _Same kind as Kelly's._ In fact, she sort of reminded him of what Kelly used to be like. _Though the big hound did it without the whining and tears_.

"Dean." Kelly growled.

"Except you, scamperoo." Dean smirked. He walked past Erin and headed towards the door. There was little doubt in his mind that Erin would be tagging along. _At least until we figure out where to stash her._ But he refused to be the one to suggest it first.

"I don't think we've got any choice." Sam muttered, he glanced at Kelly and watched as she rolled her eyes. "We can't leave her alone out here and if what she's saying is true…"

"It is!" Erin snapped.

Sam smiled at her. "Then, we can't send her home." His hand still rested on Kelly's shoulder as his brother joined him by the door. "I don't think we have any choice."

"Don't say it, Sam." Kelly winced. The thought of having another fey along for the ride was irritating. _Especially a puppy that young and naïve._ One that probably took after her peace and fun loving mother more than her hunter father. _I don't want to be stuck with the responsibility to look out for her._ Probably to train her. _She's so green…_ Though once upon a time, Kelly knew she herself had been much the same. _But not for a long while._

"You can come with us if you want." Sam said. "We'll agree to look out for you until it's safe for you to go home."

Erin blinked, surprised that he'd given in. _What's up with that?_ She'd expected the C'wn Mamau hound to fight harder. But, the other girl was just staring at her with placid brown-gold eyes. "Thank you." She murmured.

"Whose this we, Sam?" Kelly asked. "You bring her, you're looking out for her." She turned heel and stalked out the door.

"I'm with her, brother." Dean added, clapping Sam on the shoulder. "You bring it, you're in charge." He leveled a finger at Erin. "No shedding in the Impala, no peeing in the Impala, you let Sammy here housebreak you and don't get in the way." Then, he followed after Kelly, letting the door swing shut behind him.

"Your mortal brother isn't very nice." Erin said.

"Dean grows on you." Sam said. "Kelly too, they're just not thrilled with meeting new people."

"They're not thrilled with each other." Erin responded. She didn't quite understand what was going on between them. She looked up at Sam again. "I'm… glad you spoke for me. Thank you."

"It was nothing." Sam shrugged. He felt a little uncomfortable. "Come on," He added. "Let's go, we need to be in Lincoln before the sun comes up."

"What happens when the sun comes up?" Erin asked, following him.

"Kelly eats my brains." Sam joked. "And Bobby cuts out my liver." With a shake of his head, he gathered up his things and walked out the door.

Erin walked behind him, still not understanding. She was beginning to see that she'd fallen in with strange people. Kind people but strange. She hoped that everything would work out, but as she walked outside and saw Kelly arguing with Dean behind a large black box thing on wheels, she couldn't help but suck in a nervous breath. This place was very different from home. She watched Kelly's eyes move to her as Sam walked across the parking lot. She watched them flicker gold. Again, she hoped she would be okay. _And that she won't kill me first._ A chill moved through Erin and then she followed Sam, joining him by the black box. Her mind full of questions, ready for an adventure.

AN: We're off to the races. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you are looking forward to the next one. I don't know when it will be up, but it will really start off with the Seven Deadly Sins. So, yay!

Remember, feedback=love. Love makes me work harder and write faster. So review!


	5. Chapter 4: The Wretched and the Dead

Chapter Four: The Wretched and the Dead

The Impala raced through the night. After Erin fell asleep, Sam had forced Dean to turn off his blaring rock music. So, the rest of the ride had been left in a tense silence between the two brothers and the girl who was still awake in the back seat. Kelly had kept her mouth shut for most of it, waiting for Dean to get his mind back on business and out of the gutter. Even his time with Erin hadn't forced him to gouge the pleasant memories of one more sexual experience from his mind. Kelly glanced out into the inky darkness as they barreled down the highway; she knew that if he was going to start talking, he'd talk about that. She didn't look at Erin, the young twenty something had left her forehead tilted against the glass, her perfect features lost in dreamless sleep. Kelly snorted silently. _You're so ugly!_ Her mind whispered, imitating Erin's high voice. _Why don't you look like everyone else? Is there something wrong with you?_ Her mouth twisted slightly in irritation. Erin had never been outside the Otherworld. _She's never seen anyone who isn't stark ugly or incredibly mind-blowingly beautiful._ She shook her head. Trying to fight back the irritation of having every second of every day filled with questions about mortals and their contraptions. Kelly sighed and shook her head.

"Kid asleep back there?" Dean asked. He glanced back over his shoulder at Kelly. She was sitting behind Sam, her head resting against the glass. Dean felt his heart skip a little as her eyes reflected the light back at him.

"Yeah." Kelly said. "But she won't stay that way if you shout." Shrugging for a moment, she looked back out the window, muttering. "And if you wake her, I'm locking you in the Impala and you get to answer all her questions."

Dean watched her smile at him, hers more than a little vicious. He suppressed a shiver. "I'll keep it down, scamperoo." He said. "Don't want to disturb the little ones beauty sleep." He took Kelly at her word when she threatened to hold him captive and answer Erin's questions. The girl made "are we there yet" queries seem insightful. Still, looking at her, Dean couldn't keep a grin from spreading across his face, tugging from one ear to the other.

"She seemed pretty wiped." Sam added. "You think she went through a lot to get here?"

"Anyway, I appreciate you guys giving me some quality time with the Double-Mint Twins." Dean said. He clapped his brother on the hand. He shook his head and whistled. Dean kept his eyes on the road, but he could feel Kelly watching him. In the rearview mirror, he thought he saw a flash of regret before it vanished behind a veil of irritation.

"Whatever." He heard her mutter.

"Yeah, you're welcome." Sam said. His brother kept his eyes focused on the road, his head tilted against the glass, then Sam yawned loudly. He didn't bother to cover his mouth with a large hand and glanced back at his brother.

"Really?" Dean said. He could feel the weight of his advantage over the girl in the backseat and all he had to do was press it. "Cause I have to say, I was expecting a weary sigh or an eye roll or somethin'." He glanced back at Kelly again. "I half expected you to bash in the front door like the last time I got some action."

This time, Kelly did roll her eyes. "Please, Dean." She said. "I'm not that desperate."

"Ha!" Dean laughed. "Coulda fooled me. You have any fun beating up some emo kids at the local bar?"

"It was bikers." Kelly replied. She'd wanted to just ignore him, but Dean kept flinging comments at her pride. She could feel him trying to make her hate him. _And he's doing a damn good job._ Kelly hated it when he managed to suck her in. She could feel his gaze prickling against the back of her neck before his hazel eyes pulled back to the road.

"No, no, no, Kelly and I are just glad you had fun, Dean." Sam said in a cool voice. His fingers playing across the leather binding of the manuscript, he always kept it on hand. "You deserve to have a little," he continued. "You deserve to have some."

Dean glanced at his brother, a winning grin tugging at both corners of his mouth. "Well, I'm in violent agreement with you there." He glanced back, a wicked gleam in his hazel eyes. "But I wanna hear it from the little woman in the back." He chuckled. "I want to hear her say that she's glad I'm having fun."

Kelly looked up off the window and glared at him with dark eyes. The kind that said she was going to murder him in his sleep. _He expects me to be happy for him?_ She wondered, her teeth clenching together. _Seriously?_ She still loved Dean, but sometimes he really did try her patience. _That's part of why I fell for him._ Sexy, dangerous, Dean Winchester was everything she'd imagined finding in a romantic partner. _Then it was over before it really began._ Her fault, but she still wasn't ready to say that she was happy about him sleeping around. _Or about him rubbing my nose in it._ Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the back of his head. Still, she wasn't about to let him know he was hurting her. That would be the same as letting him win and she wasn't about to let him get away with that.

Instead, she smiled sweetly. "I'm glad you're having fun, Dean." She said, her voice a mirror image of his. "Hopefully, next time I can find a drunken frat boy at the bar and kick you out of the motel room for the night." She smiled. "And I'll expect the same admission from you. 'Kay?"

"When you decide to turn yourself into a slut, Kelly, I'll hold a damn parade." Dean said. He kept his voice light, but his hands clenched the steering wheel. The thought of her bringing some other guy home made his jealousy spike and the ugly green monster in his chest rear it's ugly head. Biting the side of his cheek, he glanced at his brother. Forcing a chuckle out between his lips, he asked. "What's Bobby got?"

"Not much." Sam responded. "Crop failure just outside Lincoln, Nebraska. It could be demonic omens…"

"Or it could just be bad crop and a bug problem." Dean responded. He glanced back at Kelly to see if she was listening. He watched as she leaned forward with a sigh, her right arm curling around his brother's shoulders as she stuck her head between their seats. "You got somethin' you wanna add?" Dean asked. He didn't like the way her fingers were playing with his brother's lapels and she was a little close for comfort.

"You pretty much said it all, pretty boy." Kelly said. "I don't have any other concerns."

Dean sucked in a deep breath to hide his annoyance, trying to ignore the fact that her fingers were now playing with the strings of Sam's hoodie. _Stay focused._ He told himself. _Think of the job._ Though that was pretty damn difficult when his ex leaned forwards to whisper in his brother's ear, or when Sammy burst out laughing.

"Any freaky deaths?" Dean asked. He kept himself from looking back at his brother. His eyes glued to the road. _My girl!_ His mind rebelled. _Mine!_ Dean was nearly ready to say screw the deal, then he remembered he'd lose both of them if he did. He put his free hand back on the steering wheel and stared out into the pitch black surrounding the road. It seemed to suck away all the light. They were headed into a cloud of fog.

"None yet." Kelly said. She leaned her head against the side of Sam's headrest, a small smile playing on her lips. She looked a little worried. "Bobby said he looked, but he couldn't find any."

"It's weird, man." Dean said. "The night the Devil's Gate opened, all these weirdo storm clouds were sighted over how many cities?"

"Seventeen." Sam said.

"Seventeen." Dean echoed with a nod. "You think it'd be Apocalypse Now, but it's been two months and bubkiss." He paused glancing from his brother to Kelly. He could smell her breath and nearly sneezed, she needed to brush her teeth as badly as he did. Swallowing, Dean glanced at her again, surprised to see her looking at him.

"The fey have been more active." Kelly responded. "Herne and his hounds ride every night."

"Yeah, I bet your master and hers do too, huh?" Dean asked. He shook his head. "Maybe that explains what the demons are laying low about, but I still think they're waiting for somethin'. We just don't know what."

"Well, it beats me." Sam said.

"Me too." Kelly shrugged.

"Well, it's driving me crazy." Dean said. "I tell you if it's gonna be war, I wish it'd just start already."

"Be thankful for the quiet." Kelly said, her voice sharp. "You'll miss that when we're in the thick of it."

"I think what she means." Sam said, slowly. "Is be careful what you wish for."

Behind them against the glass, Erin mumbled and rolled over. Her eyes still caught in the depth of sleep, her mind far away. Kelly glanced at her with a sigh and sat back. She leaned against the cool window, her eyes on Erin as they shone out of the darkness. For the moment she envied the girl and her ability to sleep. But it wasn't for long, she didn't look at Dean or Sam as she shut her own eyes, letting the darkness carry her off. Her mind was filled with bloody images, a smirk and a set of glowing yellow eyes, a man she could never escape. Trapped in her nightmares, Kelly drifted off to sleep, unable to scream.

Morning found them pulling into a dusty driveway at ten o'clock in the morning, the Nebraskan sun burning bright overhead. Erin had slept peacefully through the night, only to be woken by the bump and shudder of the Impala as it rolled over potholes. Neither Sam nor Dean had slept a wink and when Kelly woke as Dean pulled up the emergency break and brought the 1967 Chevy to a creaking halt, they found her looking like she hadn't slept at all. Or that she'd wished she hadn't.

"Rise and shine ladies!" Dean called, banging his free hand on the wheel. Leaning forward, he switched on his eight-track and let Bon Jovi blare out through the speakers. Sam groaned loudly and shoved his door open, stumbling out into the bright sunlight. Rubbing his eyes in the open air as Dean chuckled.

The greasy smell of a bacon cheeseburger permeated the car, it was too early for her to be confronted with food, Kelly covered her mouth as her stomach lurched. She was not going to throw up in the back of the Impala. _I am a hound._ She reminded herself as Dean swung open his door. _I like meat._ She grimaced, memories coloring her mind with yellow eyes and frightening smiles. Kelly looked down at her hands; half expecting to find them bloody, with her fingers plunged deep inside a man's entrails as he screamed. She was thankful to find herself in the Impala. _Azazel is dead._ She reminded herself. Her missions for him were done.

"I'm up." She grimaced, rubbing her eyes. How many nights had it been since she'd been able to sleep peacefully? How long since she'd woken up feeling refreshed? Kelly had lost count. Swallowing, her fingers tightened on the seat in front of her. Shoving it forward, she reached for the handle of the door, grumbling her fingers fought to find the latch. Pushing the door open, she squeezed out of the car and stepped into the bright sunlight, squinting up at the house, watching as Bobby walked down off the porch to meet them.

"Mother?" Erin mumbled. Kelly glanced back into the car and looked at the girl with a sigh. She'd thought the younger fey had woken up, but apparently she'd managed to fall back asleep.

"Wake up, newbie." Kelly said, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Erin woke with a jolt and looked around with terrified eyes. Her dark gaze finally seeing Kelly leaning against the window, a cheerful grimace on her lips. Erin shook. She didn't like the other fey; there was always something in her eyes. A coldness. When Kelly looked off into the distance, she seemed to be seeing something far away, something terrifying. And that in turn terrified Erin, even though she desperately wanted to remain unaffected. She wanted to show that she was just as useful as the other girl. Wanted to prove that she was just as skilled, just as useful to the Hunt and to Sam. Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at Kelly and then unhooked her own door. Swinging it open, she stepped out to see the rest of the group greeting a grizzled old man. One she could only assume was this Bobby. _Do all mortals live in these kinds of dwellings?_ She wondered looking up at the farm house. It seemed so different from the many roomed motel, she'd found the brothers at. Erin didn't know if they'd ever see her as a grown up. _Not after I collapsed in front of them._ Not after she'd cried. She glanced at the white sheets and line of laundry strung up from one end of the yard to the other. It was strange and very primitive. Why did humans feel the need to dress in clothes? Why couldn't they just shape themselves according to the perceptions of others? Erin glanced at Kelly and found herself wondering the same thing. The older woman didn't need to wear clothes. She could choose to present any image she wanted; yet she treated her body as if it were real. Refraining from using her magicks, except when she shifted from one form to the other.

There was a loud buzzing in the air. The sound of legs rubbing against wings to create a clicking noise surrounded them. Each continuing in it's song unhindered by the others and there were so many in the surrounding area that there wasn't a breath in between. They continued on in a cacophony of music, irritating to the regular bystander. But the most important thing though was that it was entirely unnatural. It was the wrong season for cicadas.

"Hear those cicadas?" Sam asked. He glanced back at Kelly as he spoke, but it was Dean who answered his question.

"That can't be a good sign." Dean said, taking another bite out of his bacon cheeseburger.

"When are bugs ever a good sign?" Kelly asked. Her eyebrow rose suggestively as Dean glanced back at her, he couldn't stop himself from chuckling.

"You look like you could've used a better nights sleep." He said. "Or did your dirty naughty dreams keep Sammy up too?" He glanced at his brother, knowing very well that Kelly's normal REM sleep meant that his brother didn't sleep at all and if he did that it was plagued by dark visions and nightmares. He felt bad for them, he did, and was glad that it was Sam who was having his sleep patterns destroyed. Still, Kelly looked so weary, plagued by dark circles under her eyes that all he wanted was to give her a hug. _I hate her, I hate her._ He repeated, it was his mantra for when he found himself slipping in the wrong direction.

"Niet." She grumbled. Crossing her arms over her chest, she walked up past them. "I assume you kept yourself up?" She asked, glancing at Sam.

Dean watched with dismay as his brother nodded, then with irritation as he patted Kelly's head. The girl looked pleased by the attention. Pleased! Dean wanted to shout at Sam for treating her like a dog, but then thought better of it. Instead, he turned to Erin. She was wandering up beside him, her converse creating small puffs of dust as she moved over the gravel. It crunched beneath the flat soles of her sneakers. She was staring around them with wondering eyes. Annoyed, Dean took another bite out of his cheeseburger and stalked towards Bobby. He was trying to remain cheerful, even if it was forced. He wanted to forget that it was only ten months 'till his bill came due and tried to make light of the situation at every possible opportunity.

"So, we're eatin' bacon cheeseburgers for breakfast are we?" Bobby asked as they approached.

"And making me sick while he's doing it." Kelly muttered. Her free hand massaging her stomach, a forlorn expression spread across her countenance.

"Well," Dean said. Wiping his mouth with his hand, he took another bite and chewed. He could feel Kelly wincing, though whether that was at the mention of his deal or because he was speaking with his mouthful, he didn't know. "Sold my soul, got a year to live." Dean finished the burger in another bite. "I ain't sweating the cholesterol."

"You sold your soul?" The incredulous gasp came from Erin behind them. "Why?"

"Long story." Dean responded. He glanced back at her. "Since this is your first time out, Erin. Let me lay down the basics for ya. First rule: No asking stupid questions while we're on the job." Crinkling up the foil wrapper of the hamburger between his hands, he rolled it into a ball and tossed it away.

"What counts as a stupid question?" Erin asked, her voice abuzz with curiosity. She watched Kelly cover her mouth to hide an amused smile and frowned. Surely, she could do better than the Hound!

"Why don't you just raise your hand when you want to speak, and we'll call on you at the earliest opportunity?" Kelly suggested, a playful smile still hanging on the edges of her lips.

"You want me to look like a fool." Erin snapped. She watched with surprise as Kelly nodded.

"Yes, yes I do." The other girl chuckled.

"Who's yer friend?" Bobby asked. "I don't think we've met before."

"Bobby, this is Erin Chang." Sam said. "She's like Kelly."

"She's nothing like me." Kelly snapped. She moved away from the small group to stare up at the house. Something felt off. There was a stale stench to the air, sickly. _It's as if… as if something's rotting._ Where were the sounds of people? The cars were still in the driveway. She thought she heard screams, but they were faint. _Maybe coming off a TV?_

"So she's fey?" Bobby asked. He glanced from the tiny Chinese girl to his old student. Her back was to them and only the lord knew what kind of expression she was glaring. But Bobby could tell by the tenseness of her shoulders that she was annoyed. _And suffering from a poor night's sleep._ That always left her a bit on the grouchy side.

"In principal," Sam said. He was trying to hide his own smile, he liked ruffling his hound's feathers and Erin seemed like a more fun way than Dean. "She's a lot like you." He heard Kelly snort.

"Only in principal." Erin growled. "In every other way, I'm better." That brought some raised eyebrows as she moved away from the group. She didn't want to hear any more of Dean's rules. She just wanted to get to work. Leaning against the white picket fence, she glanced up at Kelly. _I wonder if my talents will ever come in handy._ Her fingers clenched around the wooden post.

"Well, ain't she cheeky." Bobby chuckled. "You boys just keep gatherin' 'em up. You'll have your hands full between those two." He raised an eyebrow as he glanced from Dean to Sam. "Just make sure one don't snap your ear off."

"So, Bobby what do you think?" Sam asked. He was desperately trying to change the subject. It still felt uncomfortable to be trapped between the two women, even if Erin was little more than a girl. He didn't need to be reminded. "We got a biblical plague here or what?"

"Well, let's find out." Bobby said. He glanced over at Kelly. "You pickin' up anythin' with that nose, kiddo?"

"Something's off, Bobby." Kelly replied. "The air, it's stale and I think something's rotting."

"Somethin' rotting." Dean nodded. "Well, that gives us a place to start."

"Looks like the swarm's ground zero." Bobby said.

He headed off towards the house and started climbing the steps up onto the porch. Sam and Dean followed closely on his heels, with Kelly and Erin bringing up the rear only a few steps behind. They climbed up, their feet causing the brown painted floorboards to creak. Kelly sighed loudly as she leaned against the railing, wishing they hadn't brought such a big crowd. She wondered for a minute if she should shift and become a dog, though that might end up being harder to explain. _At least there wouldn't be so many people._ She glanced at Erin. But the other girl was staring ahead, her eyes eager. _This is all an adventure._ The other young woman had no sense of death. _She's immortal, so what does it matter?_ Kelly nearly swallowed her tongue. The stench was thicker out here and she thought she heard the buzzing of flies. Her stomach flip-flopped.

"Candy gram!" Dean yelled after pounding on the door. He waited for a few moments and then glanced back at Bobby, waiting for the older man's nod.

"Maybe you should wait out here." Sam said. He'd turned to Erin, his dark brown eyes worried. "I mean, you've never done this before." He shrugged, sticking his hands deeper into his pockets. "And we don't know what's waiting on the other side."

"I'll be fine." Erin said. "If mortals can handle it, so can I." She smiled at him with her innocent eyes and warm open face. "It's one of the things Hounds have to do, yes?" She glanced at Kelly, who reluctantly nodded.

"But it can get a little…" Sam trailed off. "I mean, it can be dangerous and disturbing…"

"Sam." Kelly's voice was firm as she looked at him. "Let's just let her see." Her brown-gold eyes shifted back to Erin. "And then maybe she'll finally pack it up and go home." She grinned at the other girl and Erin took an involuntary step back.

"Anything you can do, I can do better." Erin snapped. "If you're going in, so am I."

With a combined sigh, Kelly and Sam turned back to watch Dean unlock the door. There was a creak as it opened and a click as Bobby lifted his gun. Dean stepped inside, his gaze moving swiftly across the beige wallpaper covered with pale red and green leaves. Opening the door, the smell that Kelly had noticed assaulted his nose and he began to cough. Choking on the air, he covered his mouth with his fist, frowning as the sound of buzzing flies hit his ears. Sam moved in behind him, hands on the gun as Bobby stepped sideways covering his nose.

"I think maybe you better stay outside, Kellster." Dean said. His voice soft in the house entryway, he didn't bother to look back over his shoulder to see if she'd listened. As far as Dean knew, Sam was the only one who could really command her and even then she sometimes decided to have selective hearing. The sound of her coughing was enough to tell him that she hadn't.

"That's awful." Erin's high voice said from behind them. "What could possibly smell that bad?"

"That still can't be a good sign." Dean mumbled and behind him, Sam nodded.

"No." Sam said. He glanced behind him, Kelly was at his shoulder, her face twisted with disgust, her nose crinkled and her eyebrows crunching together. "You wanna hang back here?" He asked. "It's only gonna get worse."

"She's a tough bird, Sammy." Dean said, completely aware that he was changing opinions and sounding like a complete idiot. "She can handle it." A part of him just wanted to oppose his brother, or maybe he just wanted to tell Kelly that he had complete confidence in her ability to shut down her senses. _And keep herself from retching._ He knew that whatever he was smelling, she had to be feeling it twelve times worse. _Sometimes makes me glad I'm not a Hound._ Or attached to one. Dean looked back at his brother, Sammy looked like he was about to be sick.

"Thanks, Dean." Kelly coughed.

With that, she followed after Bobby, circling into the kitchen as the boys moved down the hallway. Erin chose to follow after Sam, keeping herself tight against the wall, her eyes on the gun in his hand. Sam had explained to her what a gun was. She still thought it was a silly creation and wondered if she'd get the chance to see it in action. The buzzing grew louder and the stench grew stronger as Dean came to a stop at the edge of another door. He glanced through it and then at Sam for conformation. Waiting a beat for his brother's nod, Dean held his gun tight against his chest. He appreciated the glazed confusion on Erin's face, but was also comforted by the fact that she seemed alert. He didn't know what they'd do if they ran into trouble and at the moment she was basically dead weight. Still, he thought it was cute that she was trying. Sam nodded and Dean moved quickly through the door, his brother following close on his heels. They each took a room, turning back and forth to check them, but found nothing. Erin waited in the hallway, her hand clamped over her nose. She wasn't sure what to do.

Slowly, she watched as the boys moved out of the hallway and passed her. Guns up, their gaze sweeping each hallway. Sam barely glanced at her as he went by, but Dean paused next to her and nudged Erin's shoulder, indicating that she should follow. Sam continued through the empty house, his footsteps careful as he walked around the dining room table. It was set for three places, with blue china dishes and silver silverware set out on white linen napkins. Now, it was just gathering dust, Sam pressed his back against the wall, gun up, listening, still he heard nothing. Dean moved past him swiftly, aiming his gun high as he checked the next room. Erin stood in the center, nervously chewing on her fingernails. She had no idea what she could do and found her cheeks glowing with embarrassment. Still, she let her eyes close and reached out with her mind, frowning. Three people were here, she decided.

Sam's foot creaked against the floorboards as he stepped down. Dean a heartbeat behind him as they both heard the sound of screaming. Sam straightened next to his brother, his eyes searching the empty room, settling on the closed door across from them. "You hear that?" He asked. He glanced at his brother, Dean looked down, tilted his ears to get a better grasp of the sound and then looked back up.

"Sounds like screaming." Erin whispered between her fingers.

Both boys ignored her. Together, they moved to either side of the door and the screaming grew louder. Sam pressed his back against the right side of the frame, while Dean's shoulders rushed against the painting with the happy farm behind it. Tension filled the air as they glanced at one another with a grimace. There was another scream. With a nod from Dean, Sam kicked open the door. The two rushed into the room, guns held high. It took another moment and then the smell hit them again, more strongly than before.

"Oh…" Dean groaned into his sleeve, dropping his eyes away from the three heads visible over the back of a blue couch.

"Ugh…" Sam mumbled. Covering his own nose with his free arm, he found himself unable to take his eyes off the sight or the shriveled bodies.

"What?" Erin asked. She peered over their shoulders. "Did you find them?" She asked. Her voice more cheerful than it should be as she looked from the back of Sam's head to Dean's. "Did you?"

"Oh my god." Sam mumbled.

He and Dean moved further into the room, their walk slow. The smell was much worse in this room; he could now recognize the smell of week old corpses decaying. Sam continued forward, his mouth hanging open in horror as he peered over the edges of the couch. The faces were empty and wrinkled from being exposed to the air. Their noses seemed to have melted away, flesh disappearing off of their cheeks and neck. Their skin had grown tight over their bones. There were three bodies, a woman and two young men. Each looked no older than their mid twenties. Their eyes staring straight ahead at the screen as the blonde continued to chatter away. One's head was tucked down against his chest, almost as if he was sleeping, the others all wore numbed expressions. Their rotting eyes staring straight ahead as flies crawled across their white irises.

"Bobby!" Dean roared. "Tell Kelly not to come in here!"

He was too late because seconds later, Kelly turned the corner. "What the hell, Dean?" She demanded. "Why don't you want me…" Then the smell hit her and Kelly recoiled, covering her nose as her stomach lurched against her throat, trying to spill its contents. _Oh Mother, I've faced worse, I've faced so much worse._ Sometimes there were disadvantages to having too keen a nose. She turned away from the bodies, bowling over. Kelly barely noticed as Bobby stepped past her.

"My god." Bobby muttered.

Dean crossed the room, past his old friend, settling his hands on Kelly's shoulders. "Come on." He growled. "Don't lose your lunch." His hands tightened on her as he leaned down, his lips whispering into her ear. "See! This is why I told you to stay out!"

Her hands covered her mouth as she glared up at him. "I swear…to…" She heaved. "I'm…going…to throw up…on you…" Her stomach shuddered as she leaned against him, her eyelids fluttering. She'd seen worse, she'd even smelled worse. _But the reaction that time was about the same._

"If you do, you're cleaning my shoes." Dean smirked.

"What's wrong with her?" Erin asked. She glanced from one Winchester to the other. She wasn't feeling too sick from the smell, though looking at the bodies was more than a little unsettling. But she'd seen stuff like this before in her studies. "You'd think she's never seen a dead body before."

"She's got a sensitive nose." Sam said. Kelly's reaction was making him feel sicker. Swells of disgust rippled through his stomach, nearly bowling him over. He knew what he was experiencing was only a reflection and as Sam wiped his brow, he wondered how she could stand it. He gasped for some fresh air before he tried to speak. Dean was bullying his hound back towards the door. "Bobby, what the hell happened here?"

"Check for sulfur!" Dean snapped, looking up from where he knelt. "You smell any sulfur?" He asked. His fingers tightening on her shoulders as he spoke.

"What…makes you think…I can…smell anything?" Kelly panted.

"You're the one with the sharp nose," Dean muttered. Despite the timing and the place, he couldn't stop a warm smile from trickling onto his lips. She looked adorable when she was sick. _And that is why I hate her!_ Maybe if Dean kept repeating it to himself, it might one day come true. "I figured you could smell what we're looking for."

"Problem…is…that I…can smell…everything." She groaned. Her knees giving way as she hit the floor. Her hands moved to cover her nostrils and her mouth as she bent over, her empty stomach once again heaving upwards. She tasted the previous nights dinner on the back of her tongue and she winced. Kelly Jones hated appearing weak. "Too…strong…to filter…"

"He says a fat man did it." Erin said from her corner of the room. "A fat man with black eyes." She glanced at them with wide eyes. "He touched them and they didn't want to move, they just wanted to sit. Does that mean it was a demon?"

"How do you know that?" Sam asked. He glanced at her in surprise. His eyebrows arcing towards his hairline, he hadn't been able to find any sulfur.

Erin shrugged and pointed to the boy sitting in the center of the couch. "He told me." She said. Erin made it sound like it was the most natural thing in the world and looked at the others like they were insane. Her eyebrow quirked a little as she covered her mouth with her hand and coughed.

"How do you know that?" Sam repeated.

"Kid, you talking to their spirits?" Bobby asked in the same moment. Dean glanced up from where he was kneeling over Kelly, a frown crossing his face.

"Yeah." She nodded like it was obvious. "Why? Can't you?"

"No, kid." Bobby said. He was quickly reevaluating the situation, he'd gotten used to strange situations with Kelly and he hadn't expected this to be any different. If one girl had a nose for ghosts, he supposed the other one did too. _I just don't get how she's seein' them._ After all, there were no ghosts there, just three dead bodies. "We ain't psychic like that."

"Psychic." Erin tilted her head to the side, confusing coloring her pretty expression. "What's psychic mean, mortal?"

"She's...she's not psychic…" Kelly coughed, shaking her head, her body still trying to retch. "She's a necromancer."

"A what?" Dean asked.

"A necromancer."


	6. Chapter 5: A Bad Match Up

Chapter Five: A Bad Match Up

"Really?" Bobby asked. He was staring at Erin with a different kind of respect and scratched his head. "A real necromancer?" Bobby crossed his arms over his chest as he looked from Erin to the three corpses sitting in a row on the blue couch. "I ain't seen one of those in nearly twenty years and she was a shaman. I expect," he frowned at Erin, his bushy eyebrows creasing over his nose. "That, bein' what you are, you've got much more extensive magical reserves."

Kelly's hand rose to her nose and clamped it shut. It wouldn't do much good in the long run, but it meant that for now, her stomach would stop flipping topsy turvy. Slowly, she began to stand and cast a quick glance up at her partner. Sam was watching her with obvious concern, his gaze flicking away to glance at Erin for a minute. The back of her mind tingled with disbelief. He didn't believe her. _I thought… I thought he knew enough about my people by now._ She thought with dismay, rocking back onto her heels. Enough to know that fey didn't play around when it came to magic. _Any kind of magic._

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Dean snapped. "A necromancer? Are you kidding me?" He glanced from Erin to Bobby and then down at Kelly. "Are you sure?" He demanded. His stomach sinking, he slowly watched her slowly nod. Dean could tell that she was still feeling sick.

"I think she means it Dean." Sam said. He shifted slightly from foot to foot, his eyes locked on Erin. He could feel Kelly getting herself back under control. _I should be over there with her._ He thought. _Not checking the bodies. I'm her partner, not Dean._ Yet his brother had been the first to exhibit any kinds of concern about her. _He even remembered about her nose._ That wasn't exactly Dean-like behavior.

"Come on!" Dean yelled. His glance moved from Erin to Kelly, his fingers tightening on the back of her jacket. "You can't expect us to believe that she…"

"Sure, I can talk to your dead." Erin said. She was looking from one man to another in complete astonishment. "It's not exactly a rare and special ability." She glanced around the room. "Not unless you bred it out of yourselves."

Kelly snorted into her hand and started waving Dean off.

"Bred it out?" Sam asked.

"Look pretty princess, we've got no way to prove you are what she says you are!" Dean snarled.

"Dean." Bobby began. His voice held a shallow warning. One Dean refused to heed.

Erin drew a small, sheathed knife out of her pocket. Dean blinked in surprise. Where had she gotten that? "If you want proof," she said. "I could always return a spirit to its body. That should be suitable."

Her slim brown fingers closed around the hilt and she drew the tiny, silver blade. She started towards one of the bodies, but Sam's eyes moved to Kelly and watched her shake her head. He caught her by the wrist before she could round the couch.

"That's not necessary." He said. "A coroner's report will tell us everything we need to know."

"Coroner?" Erin asked. She was staring at Sam oddly, her head tilted to the side, her large dark eyes staring up into his. Erin seemed to be calculating something as she gazed at him and Sam found the scrutiny extremely unnerving. "What is a coroner?"

"It's a person who examines dead bodies." Dean said. His voice came out short as he glanced at her incredulously. _This kid. You mean this kid doesn't know?_ He thought everybody knew. The influx of cop dramas on TV for the past twenty years had practically insured that every person in the entire US of A knew what a coroner did for a living. "To determine how the hell a someone has died."

He rubbed the back of his head, seeing no recognition on the young Chinese girl's face. Deep down he knew she wasn't really Chinese, she wasn't like Kelly, or even like that stupid, backstabbing, jerk-off Rhett. _No, she picks what form she wants to wear._ Her few comments had made that apparent. Dean wasn't a complete idiot, he just played the part most of the time. _After all, someone's gotta be Sammy's counterbalance._ Or the damn stupid kid would run off with the world and forget the problem at hand. _Someone's gotta enjoy life._ After all, both Sammy and Kelly were business as usual kind of people. They didn't know how to step back and enjoy life for what it was. _Too damn tense._ But they had eternity ahead of them to look forward to, while he was too short on time. _Damn it!_ They didn't have time to waste here.

Beneath his hand, he felt Kelly begin to straighten up. The Hound hadn't said a word since she'd threatened to puke up on his shoes. _We should probably get her some fresh air._ Remaining here would only make her sicker and hinder the investigation more than help.

"You?" He began, his voice coming out slowly and swallowed. Bobby hadn't even kept looking for sulfur; he was watching them all with an interested expression. Damn it if the old man didn't look incredibly amused! "Are you?"

One swift glance from Kelly made his jaw snap shut, his molars grinding together. Her eyes were flat golden brown disks and for a moment they were frigid. It gave him the chills. For a moment, Dean wondered why she was mad at him, a second later, he wondered if she ever looked at Sam like that, if she ever stared at him with masked frozen eyes. He repressed the urge to shake his head. There were bigger things to worry about. _And how she gets along with her master isn't one of them._

Erin tilted her head curiously, a sheet of black hair falling over her shoulder as she glanced at Sam. He still held her wrist, keeping her from the bodies. In her mind this was incredibly foolish. _We're wasting time._ She could recall the spirits if they departed from this place, but it would take considerably less time and effort to implant them now. She stared at the rotten bodies and then over at the Hound. The girl was still rocking on the balls of her feet, her fingers clenched over her nose, and so far, she'd said nothing. Nothing! _Except to inform them of what I am._ As if that wasn't obvious to begin with.

While it was true that the fey died rarely and when they did became something less of what they were, shades hiding in the shadowed gaps between the realms. For themselves, they had little use for necromancy, but there had once been a time when some of them had been the Guardians of mortal souls and unlike the mortals themselves, they were closer to the magical patterns that suffused all worlds. So, the art continued to be taught to those who had the knack. It was not a rare gift and Erin was not one of the gifted, she was little more than a novice. She'd rarely had exposure to the dead spirits collected by Reapers, most humans new better than to wander into the Otherworld and the dumb often never got the chance. _Not when so many of my kind remember the good days when they used to feed upon their flesh._ Humans were a rarity welcomed in the Otherworld, most common were babes stolen from their cradles and misplaced with the fey's own mischievous young. Though, Erin thought reflexively, that was a practice that had not been done for thousands of years. _Since we stepped out of the world of man._ Others were the handsomest young men and women who had been drawn into the Dreaming or carried off by the Wild Hunt to be made toys and playthings by the one who captured them. Erin knew her people for what they were. _A grand but cruel people._

Erin examined Kelly again, for a moment, when she'd seen the black leather gloves and the long black leather coat, she'd assumed that the girl was like her: someone who regularly touched the flows of death, someone who had a close relationship with Thanatos, someone who knew the collectors who rode the Death Coach and eased the passage of spirits from one realm to the next. Often, black leather was used as a symbol of office, a telling mark for those dead who wandered the world. Erin was not sure why it was so, she had never touched the stuff herself, but her old teacher had told her that in ancient times, when humans could still be counted among their numbers, that it was used. _And not because it is pretty or as the humans say…_ She paused a moment. _Looks…cool?_ No, the effect of leather, especially black leather was that it kept the dead from being able to touch your physical body. The energy of one who was dead meeting with the skin of something that was already dead had some sort of negating effect. _I wonder if Kelly Jones knows this._ Erin doubted it, it was most likely that she'd chosen her outfit because it made her look "cool". Erin shook her head slowly; Sam's fingers were still tight around her wrist.

"How does this…" she paused. The word was alien on her tongue as she spoke, "this coroner, determine how one of you," she did not try to pull out of Sam Winchester's grip. He had cold fingers, dead fingers, she was certain of it. _Though I did not look too closely before._ That had been her failure. "Has died?"

"Through a series of medical examinations." Sam replied. "Usually by cutting open the body…"

He didn't get any further than that; Erin ripped her hand from his grip. "That's barbaric!" She shouted. "How can you even… Even think of desecrating a corpse!"

Everyone in the room's mouth fell open, except Kelly's, and that was because her attention was focused elsewhere. Tuning out the excess sound of voices, Kelly had been focused on the outside, the sound in her ears thick with the buzzing of cicadas. But, after several minutes, she heard the unmistakable sound of a car pulling up the driveway. The creaking of a parking break and the crunching of hard earth beneath heavy tires as the vehicle pulled to a stop. Her ears twitched at the sound of two car doors slamming and her hand moved to grip Dean's arm as her eyes shot up to Sam. Feeling her prickle of attention in the back of his mind, Sam Winchester glanced down at her as Dean's attention was drawn away from Erin.

"Someone's here." Kelly said in a low voice.

Well, that ended the necromancy discussion, for the moment. Dean glanced up, hearing the creak of footsteps on the porch and nodded, motioning for the others to get low. A second hand gesture signaled that he would go check it out and slunk out past Bobby, aware that Kelly was only a few steps behind him. Because of her nose, he couldn't deny her the right to go with him, but he didn't like the idea of her walking straight into danger. Dean knew that either Bobby or Sam would stay with Erin, Dean was guessing Sam, they weren't sure yet how the new girl would react when faced with… Dean swallowed. _Normal folks._

Silently, gun lowered, Dean moved to the front door. Kelly, with her fingers still plugging her nose, went to the other side. She would come out if there was trouble, or if she knew it was safe. He noticed she didn't have her gun out and, in irritation, motioned for her to pull it. She shook her head mutely and Dean glanced up at her, realizing that her eyes were glowing. _Man, I hope she ain't gonna go hound on me._ The change had become so much easier for her since she'd become partnered with Sam, she seemed to switch to her black shaggy form every chance she got. _Like she's running away from something._ But that something might not be good in this case, they didn't know what they were up against. _The thing, demon, or whatever that did this? _If it was then the Hound would probably be useful._ Some hunters fresh on the trail?_ If it was those than it could be fatal for her and possibly for Sam, definitely for Erin. _Local law enforcement?_ He hoped to god or whatever that was who'd come. _Stickier to talk our way out of._ But what was Dean Winchester but a master con man?

He motioned again for her to take out her gun. With a sigh, she rolled her eyes. Dean frowned, telling her that he wouldn't open the door until she pulled out her gun. She glared at him for a moment and raised a caustic eyebrow, her eyes glowing molten gold. Dean raised a return eyebrow and met her stare, tapping the doorknob with a serious finger. They gazed at each other for several moments. Then, he watched with satisfaction as the gold color receded from her irises and her eyes returned to their normal shade. She sighed, irritated, her gaze never leaving his and reached around, to take her gun out from where it had been tucked away above her buttocks. She flipped it out and shook it loosely in front of his eyes as if to say "There? Happy?" He smirked. Yes, he was. He'd won the battle. Even though he knew he'd had her hamstrung to begin with, Dean Winchester enjoyed his victory.

Dean pulled open the front door; it creaked softly as he peered out into the sunlight. His hazel gaze scanned the porch and what he could see of the driveway. He'd heard footsteps, knew that he couldn't dismiss Kelly's senses, but as of yet, he could see nothing. He glanced back at his ex as she slid around the door to his side. Their shoulders brushed for a moment and Dean felt a thrill pass through him. He blinked. This was no time to be distracted. Stepping out into the light, he signaled for her to wait in the doorway. He didn't need to see her nod to know that she'd understood. Dean moved cautiously out into the open, his gaze swinging across the browned fields beyond the driveway. He pressed his shoulder against the white-painted support beam, leaning out over the stairwell, and saw nothing coming from the east. No car, no people, nothing out of the ordinary. At this point, he was sure that they weren't dealing with the local authorities. He turned away, nearly ready to give Kelly the all clear, then he heard the creak of footsteps. It was small, nearly silent, and he glanced at Kelly to check, when he saw her brief nod, he turned.

Following the line of the house slowly, he slid along the wall. He was sure he'd heard something from around the corner. His shoulder muscles tensed for a brief moment and he took a deep breath with another step.

"Dean!"

Kelly's shout made him whirl around. Next thing Dean knew, the flat of the wooden back of a shotgun had caught him beneath his arms, knocking him off balance. His trusty 1911 Colt semi-automatic flew from his hands as the butt of the gun caught him firmly in the ribs. He grunted. Bowling over, hands clutching his belly more out of shock than pain, he felt a foot kick him in the thigh, casually knocking him to the ground. _Where the hell is Kelly?_ Was all he thought as he heard the familiar snap of a shotgun being cocked.

"Put the gun down." Kelly's hard voice hit his ears.

_Oh, thank god._ Dean thought, grimacing in pain. His ribs were throbbing and his lungs were gasping for forcibly removed air. _She does care._ He could barely bring himself to open his eyes and look up. But he forced himself to and found that he was looking at a traditional showdown. The barrel of Kelly's gun pressed against the temple of the black man with the shotgun. A black woman next to him, one whom Dean could only assume was his partner, had her gun pointed squarely at Kelly's head, her entire body tense. Even with his blurry gaze he could see her finger twitching eagerly on the trigger. _Well, this is a bad match up._

"I could say the same!" The black woman snarled. Dean was surprised to hear a lilting and cultured British accent escaping from her lips. He didn't know either of these two. "Remove your gun from my husband's head or I'll blow your bloody fucking brains out!"

"Easy honey," The man, Dean had to assume he was her husband, said. "I'm sure these fine people can be reasoned with."

"I won't be," Kelly's lips twisted coldly. " '_Reasoned with_' until you point that thing elsewhere." Her gaze shifted from the black man to the woman, and Dean couldn't see her expression, he wasn't sure he wanted to. "And you need to stop twitching on the trigger, lady." Her head tilted to the side and her smirk widened into coolly confident smile. "You try to splatter my pretty head and I take your husband with me. I'm sure he means more to you than my _friend_."

The way she said friend made chills shiver up Dean's spine and he twitched on the ground, knowing he should say something to defuse the situation. _But they're the ones who attacked me._ He doubted that the gun the woman pointed at Kelly would really have much of an impact, she'd shrugged off bullets before she'd been linked to Sam, it had hurt like hell to do it then and it probably would now. _But who knows how much her powers have increased since they linked._ The thought made Dean's stomach writhe, his brother and his ex seemed to be getting further and further away from him. _And I can't do a damn thing to stop it._ If there was one thing though, that Dean was completely sure of, it was that Kelly would have no hesitation pulling the trigger. That worried him.

"You saying you'd rather die than…" The black woman began. The gun in her hand was shaking unsteadily and she brought up her left hand to stabilize, her mouth tightening into a tiny line.

"Isaac?" Bobby's surprised voice rang across the porch. "Tamara?" Dean turned his head to glance back; maybe what he'd heard before was Bobby stepping out on the porch.

"Bobby!" Tamara, the black woman exclaimed. Apparently, she was just as surprised to see him in this neck of the woods. Dean noticed also that she didn't lower her gun, the three remained in the same stand off pose, with Kelly glancing casually back at Bobby. "You're working with this bloody homicidal maniac?"

"I'm ashamed to say, yes." Bobby said, scratching the back of his head. "Kelly girl, put that gun away! These two are old friends of mine!"

"No, Bobby." Kelly responded, her voice stiff. Her eyes swung back to Isaac's head, her hand loosening a little, but the barrel remained steadily pressed against the man's temple. "Not a chance until he moves that shotgun."

"Isaac?" Bobby asked. "Please, for old times?"

Isaac glanced at Kelly for a moment, his eyes hooded as he evaluated her wolfish grin. He didn't like the feelings rolling off her; he could practically touch the murderous intent that was wrapped up in her eyes. It was the strong aura of a practiced killer and he didn't enjoy the idea of giving in first. But he knew old Bobby Singer and he trusted the man. Which was more than he could say for the younger man lying at his feet or the girl with the gun shoved up against the side of his head. Bobby trusted these two, and he had to see what the girl would do.

"Don't do it, Isaac!" Tamara snarled. "I know it's Bobby, but we don't know if we can bloody well trust them!"

By them, he knew she meant her, the girl. That brought a smile to her husband's lips. His wife had been never been able to forgive anyone who threatened his safety, not since, well, that dark night. He was all she had left and it was the same for him. He knew that neither of them were going to die her today. _But that foolish girl might._ He hoped that Tamara wouldn't have to shoot her, even if a part of him wanted her put down like a rabid dog. She'd caught him off guard and he couldn't forgive that. Still, he had to trust in the old hunter. Slowly, Isaac lifted the barrel of his shotgun away from the man on the ground. As he did, he felt the pressure and cold steel of a gun being pulled away from his head, no longer pressing against him. He heard Bobby's sigh of relief and listened to the creak of the floorboards as the girl stepped back.

"You gonna drop the gun?" He heard her ask.

There was a cool but amused lilt in her voice, it was almost as if she believed Tamara's gun had never been a threat in the first place. Was the girl crazy? If she was suicidal, Isaac wanted to get the hell away from her as quickly as possible. He glanced at her and found a surprise. The girl, this young woman, with her short brunette hair pulled back away from her face and wearing a brown turtleneck tank top beneath a long black leather coat, with edges that swung around her ankles, and black leather gloves that covered her hands, had a strangely youthful face. Despite the way she'd spoken, she couldn't be older than twenty-one. _And her face._ It had become a sarcastic mask. If she'd been threatening before, she was only mildly guarded now. He watched as she turned away from Tamara, her eyes moving to the man on the ground. For a moment, Isaac thought he saw a flash of concern, but it was brief, momentary, and then lost again in her dark brown gold eyes. Then, only amusement remained.

"Tamara," Isaac said, his voice coming out slow, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. This was someone they would have to tread carefully around. _And I don't even know who the hell she is._ "Sweetheart, put down the gun."

"Isaac?" Tamara asked in a low voice.

He could tell that she was against the idea. Well, that was too bad. They didn't know anything about the situation yet, and it was better to make friends than burn bridges. _Especially if my instincts are correct._ And Isaac Cole's instincts were rarely, if ever, wrong. He nodded a second time and watched the girl's smile widen into a brief smirk as Tamara put down the gun. _So, she thinks she's won does she?_ Well, maybe she'd beaten Tamara at the battle, but Isaac had every confidence his wife would win the war.

The wood creaked as Bobby Singer walked past the downed Dean to the Coles side, his gun up in the air, non threatening, but he hadn't put it away either. He watched with careful eyes as Kelly bowed her head to him slightly and stepped back, making room. He nearly snorted, knowing she was putting on a bit of a show. Somewhere along the line since she'd left his training camp and been released from captivity, she'd developed an enjoyment for keeping others off balance. He'd never doubted her skill as a liar or as a consummate actress. After all, he'd taught her to be both. But, she'd come back with a ruthless streak that unnerved him. Sometimes, he thought, when she was looking at people, she didn't really see men and women just pieces to be played with and tugged around to suit her needs. He didn't know whether that streak came from her being fey or the Yellow-Eyed Demon, but it made him cautious and it made her a wildcard.

"Been a long time." Bobby said as he stopped beside them.

He didn't entirely trust Isaac and Tamara. They were hardcore hunters, the type who would stab first and ask questions later. _And we're traveling with a fey who don't have a lick of sense at how to hide herself._ He didn't let his gaze move to Kelly again as she moved around him. Her attention was on Dean and that was good. _'Specially since I don't know what she'd do if Erin were found out_. Bobby assumed that Kelly would protect her, he didn't think she was the kind to leave one of her own to the vultures. _But she's always been surprising_. Bobby just hoped that this time it wasn't a bad surprise. _An here's hopin' the boys protect little Erin too._ From what he'd seen already, the young woman would need all the guardians she could get. _I don't know if I'd even trust her to meet with Isaac and Tamara._ She would have too, though. Again, he refused to glance at Kelly. He could only assume she was gazing down at Dean with merry eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tamara asked.

"I could ask you the same question." Bobby chuckled.

"Heya Bobby!" Isaac said, this time far more cheerfully. He glanced at the girl again and watched with surprise as she nudged the downed young man with the tip of her tan cowboy boots. Isaac didn't waist time though. Ignoring the girl's strange behavior, he clasped Bobby Singer's hand welcomingly in his, all smiles like the rest of the group. Even it was tinged with wariness.

Grunting in irritation, Dean rolled a little as he felt Kelly's foot nudge him. His ribs throbbing all over again as the point of her boot poked him a second time. Somehow, she always knew the perfect place to hit. He'd had enough of being on the ground. _And since she's sure as hell not likely to offer me any assistance..._

"Hello?" Dean called out, sticking his hand up into the middle of the conversation, his fingers wiggling in the air. His voice was coarse and thick from his injuries. "Bleeding here."

Everyone glanced down at him, as if suddenly just remembering his presence. Above him, Kelly smirked, her lips curled into a Cheshire cat smile as if she knew something he didn't, a secret he'd never get to learn. Dean wanted help from anyone but her, anyone. He doubted his pride as a man could take it if she were the one to take his hand. The memory of his deal rang in his mind whenever he looked at her and it took all his restraint not to pull her into a tight hug. _Even when she's being a complete bitch._ But she was a Hound and he supposed that pun wasn't funny anymore. _The insult hardly matters anyway._ She didn't really seem to care what he thought.

"Kelly, you want to get that?" Bobby asked. He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow and watched her shoulders relax in response, a real grin lightening her expression.

"If I have to." She sighed. Bobby nearly laughed, she sounded so put upon. The other two hunters just watched in confusion, not understanding the dynamic between the young man and young woman. Kelly tossed her head, her ponytail shaking a few hairs loose, they drifted down through the air.

Reaching out, Dean felt her fingers closing in his as she dragged him to his feet, her eyebrow raised slightly as he steadied himself, his body still shaking, remarkably, she kept holding his hand. He held hers tightly, feeling a calming hand on his bicep as he took a few unsteady breaths. Then, when she was sure he could remain upright without her, she let go of his hand. Dean regretted feeling the warmth of her fingers slip away.

"What took you so long?" He grumbled after a few moments, rotating the cuffs of his shoulders and trying to shake off the damage. He hoped that his ribs were just bruised and not broken. It would be a total pain if any part of him had been seriously hurt.

"God's honest truth?" She asked. She glanced at him with a raised eyebrow and a cheeky smirk, her head tilted to the side.

Dean knew he would regret hearing the answer. Still, he nodded slightly. "Yeah, let me have. 'Specially since brutal honesty's always been your specialty." Dean muttered, his voice low. His words digging against Kelly Jones' pride, it took a moment to sink in, and then he listened to her snort.

"Well then, if that's the way it has to be." She chuckled.

"Damn straight it is!" Dean coughed.

"Truth is, I was having too much fun watching your ass get handed to you." She said. Her voice was cheerful, but she wasn't looking at him, her eyes were evaluating Tamara and Isaac, shifting from the guns in their hands to their stances and the way they stood, to the smiles on their faces.

"Kelly." He growled.

She glanced back at him, the smirk on her lips. "What?" She asked. "Is it a crime to trust that you could handle yourself?" Kelly tilted her head a little further as she peered at him. "To have a little faith in you?"

"You knew they were coming, you could have warned me." Dean grumbled.

"I thought I did." She said airily. Turning away from him, she stepped up next to Bobby.

"Chill children." Isaac laughed. "I think sniping time can wait until after introductions." He glanced from the upright Dean to Bobby. "Now, I know the two of you." He said, nodding slightly. "Nobody in the entire Hunter Community ever forgot the name of John Winchester or the faces of his sons." His eyes ran up and down Dean again. "And judging by the short blonde hair, the combat boots, and the dirty mouth, you must be the older sibling, Dean Winchester." Surprised, Dean nodded. He wasn't surprised though, when Isaac declined to hold out a hand, the older man's attention was already on the young woman standing next to Bobby. "But you, kid, I don't think I've ever seen or heard of you before." _And for someone with eyes like yours, I know I should have._

"Most people haven't." Kelly said. Slowly, she took another step forward, rubbing the back of her neck. She nearly glanced back inside, wondering what had happened to Sam and Erin. _Still, the further they stay away from this, the better off they'll be._ She didn't want either falling under the scrutiny of these two. _Especially Erin._ The girl couldn't lie to save her life. _A tragic character flaw for a fey._ She didn't let her lips twitch. Holding out a casual hand, she added. "I'm Kelly Jones, Ellen Harvelle's niece."

It was a lie but a solid one. Ellen and Ash had come up with that fabrication when they'd created her fake history after Kelly's first adventure with the Winchesters, one that had wound up with her in the hospital. _When I needed false records that could be found and identified._ Ash had given her everything from a birth certificate to a school trail, hidden so well in the authorities database that even they wouldn't be able to tell the difference. _Otherwise I wouldn't exist._ The problem Erin was faced with now. But at least she had her glamour and other magicks to fall back on, when used cleverly they made up for gaps in the records. It became easier to slip in and out undetected, with humans never knowing the difference. _First problem, it only works on the unwary mind._ And if Kelly knew anything about these two, it was that their minds were sharp and already questioning.

"Ellen Harvelle, huh?" Isaac asked. He took her hand in his and shook it. He was surprised; she had a firm handshake. It'd been a long time since he'd been up to the roadhouse, but he'd never heard Ellen mention that she had a niece. _But there was that call put out nearly six months ago to keep an eye out for a missing girl who fits this description._ And it had been Ellen who'd been making the inquiries, so he couldn't positively conclude that she was lying. _Don't mean I won't be keeping a close eye on her._

"Yeah." Kelly replied.

She smiled at him, it was warm, without a hint of frostiness but Isaac didn't trust it. He let her hand go and it fell away, back to her side. He could feel her eyes on his and he wondered what she was trying to figure out.

"Is anyone else with you?" Tamara asked. She sounded curious.

"Two more." Bobby said. "Dean's brother Sam and a young girl named Erin Chang."

"She a witness?" Isaac asked.

"A friend." Kelly responded. Isaac glanced at her in surprise, a little impressed with the girl. She didn't miss a beat. "Someone who got dragged into the wrong side of this mess."

"What Kelly's tryin' to say." Bobby said. "Is that she's a rookie."

"Right." Isaac nodded. There were more players here than he was used seeing and more than he remembered Bobby ever traveling with. Something fishy was going on, something besides the dead bodies, he could only assume were inside the house. "Well, why don't you gather the rest of your team and meet us back at our place." He nodded. It was a good plan. _We'll have better chance safe inside our own fortress, with all our tricks on hand._ "I assume you remember the way?"

"How could I forget?" Bobby laughed.

"Isaac." Tamara began.

"Not now, dear." Isaac replied. He glanced over at Kelly Jones again. _Just who the hell are you?_ He wondered. He hadn't liked what he'd seen of her so far and he could tell that from here, it would only get worse. "You can fill us in on what you found there."

"'Course." Bobby nodded. "We'd be happy for a place to rest up."

Isaac nodded and taking his wife by the arm, turned to go. He cast one more long suspicious glance at Kelly Jones, but the girl met his gaze with open brown gold eyes, her expression inviting, promising that it harbored no secrets. He didn't believe that for a moment. _Not from someone who can change their attitude so quickly._ It was irritating and more than a little suspicious. _Who are you?_ He wondered again. Then, he turned and walked down the steps, out onto the cracked hard ground of the driveway. Isaac didn't look back, but he was sure that Tamara did.

"Isaac?" She asked slowly. "I can see why you asked Bobby, and even the Winchester lad. But, why did you invite that scrawny little bint to come to our house? For god's fucking sake she put a bloody gun to your head! We don't know anything about her and there's no telling whether or not she'll do it again!" Tamara sucked in another deep breath. "Look, I trust Bobby, I trust his judgment, but that girl would have bloody killed you! And she wouldn't have thought twice 'bout it! Why the hell are you bloody bringing her home for tea and crumpets?"

"Because," Isaac responded. He refused to look back over his shoulder. "There's an old clichéd saying you should be paying attention to dear." He gazed out at the car. "Keep your friends close—"

"And your enemies closer." Tamara sighed. "Yes, I bloody well get it, Isaac." She shook her head. "But friends or enemies aside, you don't invite a rabid dog home to dinner unless you're intending to get bit!"

"Maybe I'm just testing the waters." Isaac said. "We don't know if she's rabid yet."

"I don't have to guess, darling." Tarmara growled. "I saw her eyes." She swallowed. "I've never seen anything like that! Never!" She glanced at him, her shoulders shaking slightly with anger and terror from the memories. "Those eyes of hers, Isaac, those bloody eyes… they weren't…" Her voice drifted low. "They bloody well weren't human!"

"We'll see, honey." Isaac responded. "And if the time comes to put her down, we'll put her down." He reached out a comforting hand and squeezed Tamara's shoulder. "Just like we always do." He looked out at the horizon, and saw that the sun had sunk lower. They'd already wasted too much time. "I'd just prefer to have our arsenal around when we do it." He glanced at his wife. "Trust me, baby." He said. "I wasn't taken in by her act, not for a moment." His voice hardened slightly. "If, no, when the time comes," he sucked in a deep breath. "We'll do what is necessary."

AN: I'm sorry, I didn't know if Isaac and Tamara had a last name, so I just kind of made one up. I hope no one minds. I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter written, I've been kind of busy and RL always has a tendency to get in the way. But it's up now, I was hoping to move it along a little quicker but the characters just wouldn't shut up, you know how that gets. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed it. I'll probably start working on the next chapter after this one is posted, so it'll be up soon. ^_^

Chapter Six (as yet untitled): Kelly, Dean, Sam, Bobby, and Erin go to Isaac and Tamara's house and have a discussion, one that could put both girls in hot water. Will Erin be able to keep her secret from the two hunters? Will her necromantic abilities become an issue (you can probably already guess the answer to that)? And what about the mystery? Find out in the next chapter of Grim Fate.

And remember, feedback = love


	7. Chapter 6: The Triple Threat Tango

Chapter Six: The Triple Threat Tango

Just Outside Lincoln, Nebraska

It wasn't until after a combination of Kelly, Sam, and Bobby had given Erin Chang a stern lecture on decorum and questions that they allowed her to enter Isaac and Tamara Cole's two-story Victorian style home. It had been dark when they'd arrived, the sun already set in the low western horizon. The house itself stood alone on its street, far from the company of others. It was to be expected of a homestead, but gave an ominous feel to the surroundings. They were too far away, too far out for the locals to hear them scream. Isolated in the countryside of Nebraska. It had all the makings of a horror movie and given the cast, no one would have been surprised if the story ended as a Slasher film. Still, Bobby held out hope. He'd known Isaac and Tamara for a long time, and while their meeting with Dean and Kelly had ostensibly gotten them off on the wrong foot, he knew it could be resolved. If, and this was the big if, Kelly and Erin remained on their best behavior. He had faith that Kelly would not draw her gun, he was not confident her ability to keep Erin's mouth from running. Though the girl seemed more likely to listen to Sam than she was to Kelly.

It was an odd thing, the two fey watched each other carefully, yet still seemingly maintained what would have passed for normal conversation, if the discussion of necromancy, black dogs, the C'wn Annwn versus the C'wn Mamau, and otherworldly forces could be considered normal. Bobby was still a bit unnerved by the fact that Erin admitted outright to being a practicing necromancer and he was sure that the boys felt the same way. Kelly on the whole did not seem incredibly impressed, but there was always the possibility that she simply didn't care. She refused to open up to anyone about what had happened during her period with Azazel and Bobby wondered if her nonchalance on the subject had anything to do with it. It was clear that she still bore the scars. Sam had mentioned in passing that there were some nights when she woke screaming. There were others where she said nothing at all, and though she feigned normalcy, her eyes were like a raccoon's, complete heavy black circles. Those days she often spent the day staring off into space, her gaze empty and hollow. In Sam's opinion, the dreams that haunted her on those nights were the worst, because when she screamed, he knew her and could wake her. He couldn't rescue her from the memories but he could help her back to sleep. Sometimes, Sam had told Bobby, she slept curled up next to him in her dog form. She said that dog's didn't remember things the way humans do. Bobby hoped that was true.

Back on the subject of magic and witches: for most human hunters, witches were associated with the foul workings of hell, receiving their powers from bargains made with demons. That was the norm and though there were a few exceptions here and there, it was generally assumed that if a witch had power, she was in league with the Devil. That made Erin suspect, even though she'd laughed away any demonic implications for her abilities. She didn't understand why the three humans looked on magic like it was suspect and inherently evil. Bobby had cautioned her not to talk about that in front of Isaac and Tamara, he didn't want those two asking any more questions than they already would. The last thing, Bobby had wanted to be clear on, was that there was to be no mischief in the Cole household. He'd looked pointedly at Erin when he said it, but cast a glance at Kelly. She'd merely raised an eyebrow in response.

Erin had assured them all most vigorously that by her own laws she could do nothing to harm Isaac or Tamara after they'd extended their hospitality, she'd insisted that it was one of the binding laws of the Seelie Fey. "Once I've been accepted as a guest in their house, I can do them no harm unless they renege on the deal or my safety is threatened." She'd glanced around at them all like they were fools. "It's a well-known and binding law, created for the safety of mortals." She'd flung up her finger and pointed angrily at Kelly. "She knows!" She'd given Kelly a hard glance. "Unless she's no longer Seelie." Kelly for her part had chuckled, but given no assent as to which faction of the Fey she belonged to. That had not left Bobby with warm contented feelings, still he was sure that nothing would actually go wrong this evening. He was mostly confident the girls could keep a lid on things.

Which put them in the now, inside the Cole house, in the basement with Isaac and Tamara's supplies. On arriving, they'd briefed the married couple on what they'd found and then gotten to work on finding answers. Dean had called the local Coroner's Office after the bodies had been brought in, to check up on the results and see if Erin's predictions had come true. Bobby was examining a map on the far right wall, tracing the red lines that indicated targets and known demon attacks, while Sam was examining the collection of artifacts and talismans hanging down from the ceiling. Small crystals with carved runes hung off a stand over his head, the dim light making it hard to see the assortment of objects. Sam's fingers moved over a wooden half circlet, one that he didn't recognize. He knew he had to be careful, in case his non-living status set off any of the mystical objects. He could feel Kelly's eyes watching him from where she leaned against the far wall, her arms crossed over her chest. Erin was next to her and the other fey wasn't allowing her to stray far. How she'd managed that so far, Sam didn't know. But she'd seemingly made it her mission to keep Erin out of the conversations and he was thankful for that.

To Sam's left, Isaac moved along beside a tall tower or shelves. Each shelf contained some herb or potion bottled up in small clear jars. There was a sign for holy water, a pestle and mortar, along with plenty of candles. It was an impressive array, clearly showing the competency of the two hunters who owned the house. And they knew it. Isaac moved about the room as if he was putting on a show, his gaze never slipping to any of them, not even to where Kelly leaned against the wall across the room. He was completely focused on his work, yet at the same time he spoke in a loud voice that none of them could miss or mistake. His voice ringing through the basement and echoing up the stairs.

"Honey," he called out in a plaintive voice. Spreading his hands in a gesture of frustration his gaze swept the shelves, cupboards, and desks filled with hunter's tools. "Where's the Palo Santo?"

Near by, Tamara was calmly crushing one of her herbs into a creamy grayish powder. She glanced up at him with a smile. "Well," she asked. "Where'd you leave it?"

From her place on the wall, Erin glanced up at Kelly and mouthed. "Palo Santo?" Her eyebrows climbing up towards her hairline, she was surprised that these people would have something like that. From what she'd seen of their collection they looked like amateurs. "Do you think this is their casual past time?" She asked the Hound in a low voice. She remembered Bobby's warning's well. "It can not be their actual job?"

Kelly shrugged. "Hunters take hunting seriously." She said. Her voice matching Erin's for octave, she too had no desire to cause an incident. Though, it was her quiet suspicion that Tamara and Isaac might be trying to start one. _They don't like me._ That was a fair understatement and Kelly found she couldn't blame them. _I wasn't exactly nice._ But then, they hadn't been either. So, she supposed it went both ways. _If they are trying to impress or startle us, they're failing._

"I don't know dear!" Isaac said. "That's why I'm asking you."

"But nothing here will damage anything larger than a damned soul." Erin shook her head. "And I can…"

"Those are dangerous enough." Kelly replied quietly. She glanced down at Erin in surprise. She hadn't realized that the girl had more than a passing knowledge of the dangers that could befall the mortal world.

"To humans." Erin spat.

Her mouth twisted with distaste, the more she discovered about this world; the less she liked it. Home made sense, the rules, the traditions, the boundaries, the customs, and everything that came in between had its own place with its own sense of rightness. Even the chaotic regions and darker courts had an order to them and a law they followed, it wasn't total anarchy. Here though, everything was jumbled up together, disordered, lawless, chaotic! She stumbled over the easiest of traditions that the Hound seemed to flow through and she did it flawlessly! She handled behaving like a human as if it was something that came naturally to her. She didn't have to think and decide whether or not to say "hi" as opposed to "hello" or "good morning". For her there was a proper way to do things and an improper way. _And I'm always doing it the wrong way!_ It was so frustrating!

"Palo Santo?" Sam asked.

His hand moved away from the decorations as he glanced at Isaac. He'd never heard of it before. Checking the tingling at the back of his mind, he fought the urge to glance at Kelly. As usual she was a tight knot at the back of his mind, but if she was impressed, she wasn't letting him feel it. Sam allowed himself a small twitch of the lips as he turned his head away from Tamara and glanced back at Kelly. Her eyebrows rose a little as their eyes met. Dean's voice continuing to drown out the background noise. _So, I'll assume you know what that is then?_ He thought, suppressing a smile. He watched Kelly tilt her head to the side and smile. It was a secretive and knowing smile. _Tease._ He thought at her, letting a flicker of annoyance trail into the bond. He watched without surprise, as her smile grew larger.

"It's holy wood," Tamara said. She set down her pestle, scooping the contents into an empty jar. She set it aside and walked over to her husband. "From Peru." Coming to a stop at his side, she began to go through the objects on the table. "It's like holy water, and it's toxic to demons. Keeps the bastards nailed down while your bloody exorcising them."

_So, it's probably dangerous to me as well._ Sam thought. He didn't know if he stood in the same company as demons or what magical or spiritual items worked on him. But he intended to find out. Sam Winchester wasn't one to be caught with his pants around his ankles.

Finding the long stick in a drawer, Tamara pulled it out and handed it to her husband. "Thank you, dear." Isaac said as he took it from her hands.

His eyes narrowing slightly as he caught Tamara's quick glance at the two girls in the back of the room. Isaac like his wife found it strange that the two hung so close together, it was almost like one was watching the other. Isaac sighed. He just wished she wouldn't be so blatant about it. He didn't know about Erin Chang, but he was certain that Kelly Jones was a sharp young woman. _She's watching us as certainly as we are watching her._ But did she sense anything was amiss yet? Did she know that they were trying to figure her out? _She must._ So what was her connection with her friend, the rookie? Isaac had barely shared two sentences with her since Bobby Singer, the Winchesters and their tag-a-longs had arrived. He'd tried to, but it always felt like someone was getting in the way. If it wasn't Sam, it was Bobby, and if it wasn't Bobby it was Kelly who answered his question, and Erin Chang silently watching with those large almost black eyes. If he remembered correctly, the most she'd said to him was hello and thanked him for his hospitality. Frankly, he hadn't been sure how to respond to that. He'd sputtered something and, after a glance at _Sam Winchester_ of all people, she'd nodded, giving a gracious response and _bowed_. And then strangely, Kelly had done nothing of the kind. He just couldn't figure them out. _Not that it makes them any less dangerous._

"You'd lose your head if it wasn't for me." Tamara said. She smiled up at him, her expression warm, and her eyes glowing.

In response, Isaac smiled at her. Then he lifted the Palo Santo and gazed at his pointed tip. _I wonder what would happen if I drove it through one of them._ He wondered, turning away, his eyes fixated on the wood, his thumb stroking it's smoothed side. For him this stake was an old friend, having seen him through many adventures. Letting his eyes casually cross the room, he found the girls still in place. They weren't watching him. _And this is something I want them to see._ He waited for a few moments and then the set of eyes he wanted looked up. The brown gold irises moving from his face to the wooden stick in his hands, he watched a lazy smile curl on her lips as she tilted her head challengingly. _As if to say, what are you going to do with that?_ Obviously, something like the Palo Santo didn't scare her. _Then, what does?_

"See, humans are interesting." Kelly said. She leaned her head back against the wall, her ponytail scraping against the exposed wood. She flinched a little, relaxing her shoulders.

"Interesting?" Erin grumbled. She didn't like Kelly, not at all, but she couldn't stand aside while her fellow fey suffered through a fracturing agreement. _But the human has broken it first._ "He's threatening you! He clearly wants to kill you!" That went against all bounds of propriety. _Truly, humans are barbaric creatures._ Didn't this Isaac know that if he went to far no agreement would save him? _Would he be doing this if he was informed on what we were?_ Perhaps she should tell him.

"No." Kelly said.

"What?" Erin asked.

She glanced up at the other woman. By their appearances, Kelly outstripped her age by a year, but Erin knew in reality the black Hound of the C'wn Mamau had to be much older than that. _She might look like a juvenile, but she has skills that she could not have learned until she was an adult._ Her learning curve was too rapid, too fast. Instead of learning everything for the first time, she appeared to be relearning things she already knew. That made her a dangerous opponent. _Even if she doesn't remember all of what she used to know._ The Hounds of the Wild Hunt were deadly, dangerous, canny, and intelligent creatures. _And they have always been fanatics to their cause._

"You were wondering if you should tell Isaac the grave mistake he's making." Kelly said. "Don't do it." Her voice was soft, barely audible, but Erin heard every word and with each, she stiffened. How had the other girl known? "You're so young." Kelly sighed and Erin blinked as she felt a hand come down on her head, ruffling her dark hair. "As much as I don't like you," she added. "Sam and Dean won't survive long if you're running amok, blabbering like a wounded _sceolang_. So," Kelly's fingers stopped moving on Erin's head as the older girl shifted her position. She didn't, however, lean forward. "In the name of friendship, I'll give you your first lesson."

Isaac dearly would have liked to know what they were saying. But no matter how he strained his ears, he couldn't overhear. Still, he didn't have too much time to ponder. As soon as he'd turned his attention away from the girls, he was bombarded with an inane question.

"So," Sam Winchester said, crossing his arms over his chest. "How long have you two been married?"

Isaac didn't want to answer, but found himself moving back to his wife. They were safer in numbers and they worked better as a team when they were close. As Tamara started to speak, Isaac's right hand left the Palo Santo and came to rest on her shoulder. He was proud of their teamwork. Together, they'd slain many monsters.

"Eight years this past June." Tamara said. There was pride in her voice as she smiled at Sam.

Slowly, Isaac pulled his wife to him and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Family that slays together—"

"Right." Sam nodded. Thinking about his brother and Kelly and all the things they'd gone through together, the struggles and the hardships they'd survived, Sam couldn't help but smile. He glanced back over his shoulder at his partner, his heart fluttering as his hound smiled back. A felt a twinge of pride slither through the bond and Sam knew that she was thinking about everything they'd gone through too. "I'm with you there."

"Yes, we can see you've got quite the family." Isaac said. He cast a pointed glance at the girls in the back of the room.

Sam swallowed. He could already feel trouble brewing. Trying to switch topics he leapt on the first thing that came to mind. "So how'd you get started?" He asked. His words came out with more of a bite than he'd intended and he watched as Tamara flinched at looked away.

There was a pause of silence as husband and wife both cast their eyes downwards. Tamara's hands balled into fists as she glanced at her husband. Isaac's fingers ran comfortingly down the side of her arm as they shared a sad glance. Tension filled the room as the silence dragged on and Sam began shifting uncomfortably. Bobby looked up from the map he'd been studying.

"I thought so." Erin murmured. She glanced up at Kelly, hating that she felt indebted to her. But the older Hound had offered good advice. _I'd be a fool not to take it._ She waited to see if the older girl would bite, but Kelly just glanced down at her with a solemn expression. "There's another restless spirit here." Erin finally mumbled. "I sensed it when I came in."

"Probably just an echo." Kelly replied.

But her voice was just a little kinder than it had been before and the hand that rested on Erin's shoulder was warm. She felt a little sorry for the younger fey, for the moment anyway. As a necromancer, coming here she carried a heavy burden. _She's come to a place where men die each and every day._ There would be no lack of spirits to swarm her. _And how well she keeps them out instead of listening will be a sign of whether or not she can maintain her sanity._ Kelly vaguely remembered working with human necromancers, but that had been long ago and her memories were foggy. _Maybe I should just be pleased I have memories at all._

Unsurprisingly, it was Dean who broke the tension. "Well," he said in a loud voice, wandering back into the room. "Jenny." He moved past Kelly and gave her a wink. "If you look as pretty as you sound, I'd love to have a…" He trailed off as a hard toed boot connected with his shin. He grunted, hopping a little as Kelly glared at him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Appletini," he managed. "Yeah, call you." Closing the phone, he whirled around to glare at Kelly. "Ouch!" He grumbled. "Hey! Next time, think you could be bitchy and jealous at a less opportune moment?"

Kelly pursed her lips. "No." She said and shook her head. She took a step forward and cupped his chin between her thumb and forefinger. "But next time," she gave him a shake. "Don't be a jack ass and save yourself some pain." Then, she let him go and walked over to Sam.

"Yeah." Dean muttered. "You totally love me."

"What's an Appletini?" Erin asked. She gazed up at him curiously. "Is it some kind of sexual position?"

Dean rolled his eyes and ignored her. "That was the coroner's tech," he said.

"And?" Sam asked. As Kelly came to his side, Sam slid his arm over her shoulder and she rested her head against his chest with a grumbling sigh. _Dean really gets on your nerves, huh?_ Sam wondered as he looked down at her, a slight smile on his lips.

"Get this, that whole family? Cause of death?" Dean glanced around the room to make sure he had everyone's attention and withheld his inner urge to start flicking peanut shells at Kelly's head. "Dehydration and starvation, no signs of restraint, no violence, no struggle, they just sat down and never got up."

"So, Erin was right?" Sam asked. He glanced across the room to where the small Chinese girl was standing, his eyes wide with wonder. _So, she really can talk to the dead!_ That was incredible! "You were right."

"Clearly." Kelly sighed.

"Obviously." Erin replied.

"But there was a fully stocked kitchen just yards away." Bobby said.

"Lends credence to Erin's demon theory." Sam said.

"So, you're saying this was some kind of demon attack?" Isaac asked. There was a note of barely concealed panic in his voice, but he fought it back as Kelly replied.

"No one is saying that yet."

"Right." Erin said. "It could just as easily be one of the Fallen." She stared down at the backs of her hands. "Though why they would bother with something so petty…" She trailed off.

"Excuse me?" Tamara asked. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?" She glanced at Bobby. "What the bloody hell is she talking about?"

Erin sighed heavily. "There are other things in hell," she said. "Than just damned souls. What you…" She barely avoided the use of the word mortal, but a sharp glance from Kelly made her re-adjust. "People," she swallowed. "Like to call 'demons'." She put tiny air quotes around the words; it was something that she'd seen Kelly do.

"Only amateurs can't tell the difference." Kelly said. She rubbed the area behind her ear and wrinkled her nose; irritated that Erin had felt the need to bring this up. "But if you can't, it's not your fault. No member of the Fallen has walked the surface of the Earth since its creation." Kelly shook her head and glared at Erin. "And it's probably not one of them."

"Fallen?" Sam asked. "What are the Fallen?"

"It's not a what, so much as a who." Isaac said. He was staring at Kelly and Erin, reevaluating them. "I can only guess from the description that they're talking about fallen angels."

"Angels don't exist!" Dean snapped.

"And neither do fairies." Kelly said in a casual voice. She slipped out from under Sam's arm, one eyebrow raised at Dean. "Neither do the old pagan gods, vampires, werewolves, and all the stories about things that go bump in the night." Her mouth tightened and twisted wryly into something like a smile but Sam could feel the anger ebbing out of the bond and it worried him. Kelly wasn't normally this easily irritated by Dean's stupidity. "But you've already seen some of them, why dismiss the rest?"

"Still, what you're saying sounds a more than a little preposterous." Isaac said. "Tamara and I, we prefer to stick to things that we know. Demons." He cast an irritated glance at Erin. "Damned souls or whatever you say they are, that's what we know how to fight."

"Then, let's hope that's what it is." Kelly said. Her voice chilled as she looked from Isaac to Tamara. "Or else, I'd say you're in deep trouble."

"The one thing we know." Bobby said. "Is that if this is a demon attack, then it's not like anything I ever saw."

"So what do we do?" Dean asked. "If it's one of these Fallen or a regular demon? Do we still go after it?"

"We're not doing anything." Isaac said. His gaze flexed from Erin to Kelly and then back to Dean. "You guys seem nice enough, well, some of you do." There was a more pointed glance at Kelly and Erin. "But this ain't Scooby Doo and we don't play well with others."

"I'll take the dog crack with a grain of salt." Kelly said in a low voice, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Tamara and Isaac.

Sam felt her growing irritation and sympathized completely. He reached out with his hand and let it rest on her shoulder, not noticing Dean watching their interacting with sad eyes.

"Just cool it for now." Sam said and patted her head. He listened to her grumble irritably beneath his hand and Sam suppressed a smile. Looking up, he turned his attention back to the black hunters. "I think we'd cover a lot more ground if we worked together."

"No offense, we're not teaming with the fools who let the damn Devil's Gate get open in the first place!" Isaac snapped.

"No offense?" Dean asked.

"Now, that's unfair!" Kelly growled. "It wasn't their fault!" _Not really anyway, and besides, how do you stop a plot more than a hundred years in the making?_ She lifted her head. "I don't think you realize how many players are in this game."

"And I don't care!" Isaac snapped. "All I know is that it was you folks who brought on the end of the world! And from the way you're talking little girl, I'm assuming you were at ground zero of this whole disaster. Right in the trenches with them!" He glared at her. "I don't suppose you know who's behind it? With these 'players' of yours! For all I know, maybe you helped open that gate!"

"All right that's enough!" Dean snapped. "Leave her out of this!"

"Dean…" Sam began.

"No!" Dean snarled. "I'm not gonna tolerate you makin' blind accusations about her because she got you a little scared!"

"Ah-huh, well that ain't my point!"

"Oh yeah? What is you're point?" Dean asked.

"Look, there are a couple hundred more demons out there now." Isaac said. "We don't know where they are, when they'll strike, hell, we don't know what else might have been let loose! And there ain't enough hunters in the world to handle something like this!" Isaac's eyes swung from one face to another. The boys and Bobby looked upset and angry, shamed even. But when Isaac found Kelly Jones, all he found was a smile, a cold smile, one that said she knew something he didn't. And she wasn't about to tell. "You brought war down on us!" He snapped. "On all of us!"

"Okay." Tamara said, taking his hand. "That's quite enough testosterone for now." Taking his hand, she drew him out of the room.

There was a long silence after he left, broken finally by Erin. "So, if they're gone I can talk freely now?" She asked. Glancing from one dejected face to the next, she sighed. "Kelly knows as well as I that there are enough hunters in the world."

"If they're like Samuel Colt and Rhett, I'd rather do without." Dean muttered glumly. He leaned back against the table.

"Either way, it's time for bed." Kelly said. "We track down this mystery tomorrow." She paused and after a moment, she walked across the room and patted Dean on the cheek. Jabbing her index finger below his nose, she added. "And no pity party for you!"

Behind her, Sam snorted. "She's right, Dean." He said as his brother drew himself up indignantly. "The less time you spend wallowing, the better off you'll be."

"I do not wallow." Dean spat.

Together, everyone except Dean got in a good laugh and began getting ready for bed. Bobby shut the curtains and dimmed the lights. Outside in the darkness a blonde young woman approached, she watched the house with dark blue eyes, calculating. But when the dark haired brunette head of Kelly Jones appeared and stepped out onto the porch to stare up at the stars. The blonde vanished as quickly as she'd come, with only a puff of smoke remaining.

AN: The sixth chapter is done! Man that took a fair bit of work, but I pulled it off. I hope you enjoy it!

Remember feedback=love


	8. Chapter 7: New Orders from an Old Friend

**Chapter Seven: New Orders**

**Just Outside Lincoln, Nebraska**

Beneath the cold light of the chilled silver stars, Kelly Jones stopped and sniffed the air. The harsh light of the overhead moon glinted off the crown of her dark brunette hair as she listened to the wooden boards creak beneath her booted feet. She was tired, irritated, and, running her fingers through her bangs, shoving them back up off her forehead, she knew the night was only going to get worse from here. Glancing back over her shoulder, she tilted her ear, listening to the scuffle of feet, as people got comfortable for the night. She assumed that Erin would be taking the bed, while the boys took the couches. Bobby would find a comfy armchair and she would take the floor.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to shape shift tonight. Taking dog form always meant that she wouldn't wake up sore in the morning, it helped on the rough nights when Dean was testy and she couldn't sleep with either boy. _Either face a long night of Dean's snorting and jealousy, or waking up with my back screaming and my muscles moving minutes slower than usual._ Normally that included a headache. Kelly sighed. That was what tomorrow promised, a raging headache and a night of bad dreams. _All because we have to stay with Isaac and Tamara._ The pair suspected her, she was sure of it. _And that'll make working with them harder._ Not that she could blame them, her behavior had been nothing if not suspicious. Kelly sighed. _At least I managed to keep Erin under wraps._ Even the Mother herself would have had to admit that was a stunning achievement. _And no one drew their guns._ Instead Isaac had merely blamed the Winchesters for something that was Samuel Colt's fault and her own. _I know I did something, once, in the past. Something that made this possible._ It couldn't have been a coincidence that those two were chosen and sent looking for her. It wasn't a coincidence that they'd been ordered to let the damned souls and whatever else loose on the human world. Someone was planning something big. _And my people are at the heart of it._

The fey had never been happy to leave the mortal world in exile, had never been happy shutting up their gates and closing their borders. Kelly stared up at the stars. _They'll do what they need to, to bring about a return._ Some of them were already here, using the Devil's Gate's opening as an excuse to once again begin the Hunt. _Herne._ And if Herne had come that meant the King of the Otherworld and his host were not far behind. _Erin for all her ignorance is a telling sign of that._ They had returned to cause mischief and the world wasn't ready.

"_There ain't enough Hunters in the world to handle something like this!"_ Isaac had shouted that, his words rebounding through her brain, and though she'd responded with a negative. _For Sam and Dean._ She knew he was right. There weren't enough human hunters to fight a war on two fronts. _And they'll be overrun by both armies._ When it came to hell, someone was usually working for someone else, even if they were constantly trying to screw their boss over in the process. Still, there was always one person standing at the top of the heap. Kelly shook her head, the fey didn't have that consolation and that was the way the game was played. _I have responsibilities, duties._ She was a member of the C'wn Mamau, she had a partner, and she had a hunt to complete.

Kelly walked to the edge of the porch, her chin tilted, far away she heard the blowing of a horn. Her skin tingled and tightened, every nerve and fiber on edge, she licked her lips, her dark eyes glittering gold. The Hunt wasn't complicated, there were no human emotions, there were just the others and there was her. There were the humans who got in the way, who were unlucky and swept along as they chased down the dead spirits. Her fingers gripped the edge of the green painted railing, her body leaning towards the east, every muscle in her body taut as a strung bow, ready to be launched. Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled back to expose shining white teeth, Kelly's heart thudded against her ribs, her ears twitched.

"Now, there's a sign you've been away from us for too long." A calm voice drawled from below her. It was a southwestern accent, clear and precise. The voice of someone who'd grown up on the border between New Mexico and Texas, but spent many years elsewhere. It was a subtle accent, a lilt on the edges of her syllables, and at the beginning of a phrase. It was almost unnoticeable, but Kelly had superb hearing, it allowed her to hear what dogs did and find the smallest subtleties in twisted words.

Kelly looked down to see a shorthaired blonde with an upturned nose toying with the end of a thin braid on the sidewalk below. She'd been too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice the woman's arrival and kicked herself mentally, she was a hound and that meant she had to always be on alert. The enemy could always attack from any direction and it didn't take much to turn the hunter into the hunted. Her mouth twisted slightly as her mind moved back to Isaac and Tamara. _Something those fools have yet to learn._ They were amateurs masked by a belief in their own professionalism. _And that won't save them in the end._ She would not have marked either for elevation, even if she knew that the C'wn Mamau were looking for new recruits. These days it was unusual for them to take on humans from outside the fold, even if they were good at what they did. _Humans can always be trained to be better._ Eyeing the blonde again, Kelly smoothed her features. The scent lingering in the air told her that she was friendly, fey, and one of her own. _Probably sent to inform me that I have marching orders._ Something Kelly had been avoiding since she'd bonded Sam. _He's new._ That meant he needed time to grow into his new status. _He's stubborn._ Sam wouldn't take well to being slapped into the chain of command. _And his brother's bound for hell._ If she could, Kelly would have requested time off for him to deal with this impending disaster. _The fate of the world can wait until we save Dean._ But Kelly knew that her older and more experienced pack-mates would not see it that way. _And Cassandra was never keen on my rejoining anyway._

"Did Cassandra send you?" She asked.

Keeping her voice light, Kelly vaulted over the edge of the porch and landed on the soft spongy grass below. Her knees creaked for a second as she straightened and Kelly suppressed a wince, she wasn't at the same level as when she'd been attached to Azazel, when he'd been feeding her large quantities of blood every other month and sharing his energies. Sam was a young man; he hadn't had time to grow into his own. Kelly still drew on the blood of Azazel inside him, but it was less and so was she. _When I was with the demon, I was around the strength of an adult._ If she'd been at that level of strength when she'd fought Rhett in front of the Devil's Gate things might have ended differently, as it was. _I'm little more than a two or three year old._ And in their culture the younger you were the weaker, Hounds grew in strength as they aged and her age had been halved when she'd been reborn. She had started over and that put her at the bottom of the barrel.

"You are rather perceptive for a newborn, Keely." The blonde said, tossing her braid back over her shoulder. She tugged at the lapels of her denim jacket before crossing her arms beneath her ample breasts. She like most of the fools who'd taken on a glamour in the mortal world believed that the size of the bosom was important. Most of the time it just made them look like idiots. "That is rare." Her blue eyes shone in the darkness and behind them glittered a hint of gold. "I almost mistook you for something else." A moment took the blonde's eyes to the window behind Kelly's left shoulder. It didn't take a genius to know whom she was alluding to.

"You mean the Leader Randall's daughter?" Kelly responded; it was more a statement than a question. She bowed her head slightly, a shallow homage to the other woman's authority. _She does not know much about me._ Kelly realized, but knew that for the moment, it was best to play along. "Yes, I can see how one so clever would have made that mistake."

"You were supposed to be in Anchorage last week." Came the hard reply. Apparently this Hound didn't like being made fun of. "You ignored a direct order—"

"An order that came at the expense of custom!" Kelly snapped, cutting the other woman off. It irked her when they used a name she didn't recognize. It was familiar to her own and she could only assume it was the name she had before she was made human, but still… it was… irritating. Her mouth tightened, she would not be manhandled like some disobedient pup and at this point she didn't care if she was brought up before the High Jury of Annwn with Gwyn ap Nudd himself leading the proceedings. _I will save Dean!_ "At the expense of the law forbidding a new pair to be committed to the Hunt until one year after the bonding." Kelly lifted her chin. "I may be young and I may have forgotten many things, but I know that those rules have not been changed in thousands of years!"

"In a crisis the law may be put aside—" The blonde began.

"Who are you to say so?" Kelly snarled.

The blonde drew herself up and straightened her shoulders, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Kelly Jones. "I am Bethany Hill!" She growled. "Partner of Fothad Canainne! Hero in the provinces of Connacht and Leinster! He and I have roamed this mortal earth for over eight thousand years!"

Kelly nearly took a step back and forced a smile off her lips. "Brogan?" She asked, her voice incredulous. Memories of this hound were flooding her mind and they nearly made her laugh aloud. It was another woman's life, Kelly knew but they were as sure as the yesteryear and vibrant. She peered at the blonde Hound more closely, recognition lighting her brown gold irises as the molten coloring receded back behind her eyes. "Brogan is that really you?"

The blonde stiffened, her shoulders going straight as a board, her chin high and mouth tense. Her reaction suggested that Kelly had committed a cardinal offense, though the younger woman did not know the why or how of it. Except that perhaps she had been too friendly. She remembered Brogan well; the ancient Hound had been a friend of one of her mentors once upon a time and a rival when Kelly had finally been allowed to join the Wild Hunt. They were not the strangers the blonde's attitude suggested and there had been no need for her to introduce herself under a pseudonym. Truthfully, Kelly was glad to see her. She had not been approached by any old acquaintances except Rhett and he had merely used her to achieve his overall goal. _Played me like a fiddle, he did._

"You have not been home for over a hundred years, do not presume to know what has and has not changed." Bethany spat. "And do not take such a friendly tone with me, Keely." She tilted her head a bit and looked the younger woman over again, a caustic and cruel smile finding its way onto her lips. Her blue eyes were depthless and cold, icebergs floating in the north Atlantic sea. "But, no," she tapped her cheek for a moment. "Perhaps you are more comfortable with Kelly Jones, that is the name you use now, is it not?"

"Kelly is fine, Brogan." Kelly said. "You know as well as I, that I'm no longer Keely."

"Yes." Bethany nodded. "You are correct, Kelly. That is a past name meant for a greater self, one befitting a Hound of honor and courage, not the poor pitiable fool now standing before me." She shook her head, her blonde braid bouncing on her right shoulder as straw colored bangs fell across her eyes. She was a beautiful woman with high cheeks and a button nose. She had a soft rosebud mouth pursed with irritation and discontent. "You are unworthy of my attention."

"And yet here you are." Kelly said. Her mouth quirked into a slight smile, in the back of her mind she could feel the knot that was Sam relaxing, he was slipping off into sleep. That meant the others would be following him shortly and she had no intention of waking any of them up. She leaned back on her right leg, letting her arms cross over her chest. The gloves and the long sleeves of her coat hid her scars and the high neck of her tank top ended just beneath her chin. A fey could heal almost any wound, though Kelly's attempt had still given her scars. The only weapon that could cause permanent damage was one made of cold iron and a fey touched by that was worthy of both contempt and pity, seen as less than what they were before. She would not open herself up to Brogan's, or whatever she was currently calling herself's, mockery. "Standing before me, ready to impart your pearls of wisdom on my low and unworthy ears."

"You failed to answer your orders to rectify the situation of a displaced Amarum and return it to its habitat before its disruption of the fishing passageways became catastrophic!"

"You and I both know that is a bullshit assignment." Kelly replied. "The Amarum spirit of a water boa wouldn't stray that far from the Quencha or its place of power in the water ways of Ecuador." Bethany opened her mouth to argue but Kelly held up an irritated hand. "And even if it did, the combination of being so far from its believers and trapped by salt water would have made it vanish instantaneously."

"That may be so," Bethany growled. "But something is disrupting life in Anchorage, Alaska and it is your duty as a Hound of the Wild Hunt to discover what. I have been instructed to order you to pack your bags and head for the nearest Shadowlands! If you leave now you should arrive in a few hours."

"As much fun as that sounds," Kelly said. "I'm afraid I'm not interested in time wasting nonsense, not with a war about to break loose." Her gaze held Bethany's with harsh eyes as heated gold began to creep back into her stare. "And a much more interesting hunt here."

_Plus, I won't abandon Dean._ Or, she was surprised to discover, Erin Chang. The beloved halfling daughter of C'wn Annwn Pack Leader Randall would be a nice hostage for the C'wn Mamau and the Crone, one that could tip the balance of power in the Courts of Annwn and allow the Crone Malt-y-Nos to gain the upper hand against her brother Gwyn-ap-Nudd. _She didn't come here to become a pawn._ And irritating as she was, Kelly had no intention of simply handing her over. _Though if I wasn't tied to Sam, I probably would._ Azazel had instilled in her a cod and cutthroat mentality about hunting, he had changed her, for better or worse, and it was all she could do to try and avoid the path he'd set for her. _And for Sam._ They were both already pawns in the greater game between the Crone, Gwyn-ap-Nudd, and the other unnamed chess masters sitting around the board. All were aiming for something and Kelly didn't doubt that it would all end in Apocalypse.

"Please," Bethany laughed. "You and I both know that the Damned are child's play." Her gaze leveled as she stared at Kelly. "Pardon me, _pup's_ play. There are more interesting things at large than their shenanigans."

"Are you trying to distract me from this place?" Kelly asked. She was surprised. Brogan was working awfully hard to force her to leave. _What's going on around here?_ What was so important about this? "I thought that a hunt after a damned soul would be perfect for a new recruit to cut his teeth on." She lifted her chin, her brows knitting together as she reexamined Brogan. "Am I crowding your turf, Brogan?"

The Damned were hardly ever worth noting unless they moved in groups larger than one to three, and even then they were generally ignored unless they had spent many thousands of years in the Pit itself. The longer a soul spent in turmoil the more power they could potentially gain, the less human they became, finally regressing into something else entirely. Something that had come out the other side of insanity and was the most dangerous kind of mad.

"No." Bethany snorted. "Why would I waste my time on a pittance like the Damned?"

So, that confirmed that they were dealing with the usual kind of "demon". Somehow that realization soothed Kelly's stomach; she had not wanted to meet with one of the Fallen. Not now, not ever. They were more powerful than Dean or Sam could have possibly imagined and damn near impossible to kill. They had the ability to lay waste to entire cities and bind the souls of men and women to their cause. They were frightening and not nearly as predictable as their angelic cousins and they did not color code for anyone's convenience. One of the Fallen could appear as an angel in a blinding light of glory and devout or not, humans were unable to tell the difference. They could kill her where she stood on a single whim and Kelly would be unable to gainsay them. Only the strongest and most ancient of the Fey had the power to meet them and even they were unlikely to take the chance in a head to head. They and their brothers were the first created, the First Race, and that made them the oldest of the old. Kelly swallowed.

"Then why are you taking issue with my involvement?" She asked. _To you I am a puppy and my Hunter is an amateur, surrounded by other amateurs._

"Because you are not following your orders!" Bethany snarled.

"When did orders begin to matter so much?" Kelly responded.

Her chin rose a bit as she stared down the other woman. She watched Brogan tense a bit and glance over her shoulder, off in the direction of the Hunt. Kelly nodded, so that was it, her hunter Fothad had joined in Herne's romp through the countryside and she had been chosen out of convenience to relay Cassandra's displeasure. _They chose someone they thought I would listen too._ It was true that Kelly had once respected Brogan, but, as with all things time had changed, it was no longer true.

Bethany's head rolled back around and her eyes snapped to Kelly's face. "Since you, Keely!" She hissed. "Since your imbecilic and foolhardy attempt to…." Her voice trailed off and Kelly knew she'd been about to say something important. To talk about the subject that Erin also enjoyed avoiding. "Well," Bethany's hands smoothed over the crinkles in the thighs of her dark denim jeans. "The past is past, and you will do as you are told."

"Or?" Kelly asked. She hardly believed that any punishment would come swiftly, if it came at all. Sam Winchester was important and Dean perhaps even more so, they would not drag her off for sentencing merely for ignoring a bullshit order to go to Anchorage.

"Or you will be sent to see Old Man!" Bethany snarled.

Kelly took a step back, forcing a giggle back down her throat. Old Man? Was she kidding? _Who is Old Man?_ The name rang certain bells in her mind, and she remembered a grouchy old Hound with silvery whiskers and gray all over his muzzle. She bit her lip. Brogan spoke the name like it was a death sentence and the merest mention of it made fear begin knotting in Kelly's belly. The muscles of her back hardened into rocks as she drew herself up to her full five foot four height, she was inches shorter than Bethany and it put her at a disadvantage. _Old Man?_ She wondered again.

"You'd threaten me with Old Man?" She asked. How could anything happening in Anchorage, Alaska be that important? "That's quite the threat, Brogan."

"So you remember him?" Bethany asked.

"A bit."

"Good." Bethany said. She nodded as if that ended the discussion, except that Kelly knew it didn't. "As for why him?" Bethany's brows bent together and she looked irritated, as if spiders had begun crawling under her nails and long clawed legs tickling her skin. "He asked for you specifically, apparently he's worried about your loyalty to the Clan."

"So, you really came here to say that Old Man is expecting me and I mustn't delay in going to see him." Kelly replied. She kept her voice level and her expression smooth, but inside she was in turmoil. Old Man wanted to see her, probably to deduce the effects that massive quantities of demon blood would have on her system. "You should have said that to begin with."

"You were supposed to see him after you went to Anchorage." Bethany said.

"Neither Sam nor I is going to Anchorage, Brogan." Kelly responded. "If there are Damned in the area making mischief it's our duty to put them down."

"The Wild Hunt will catch them and return them to their prison before they do any serious harm."

The older blonde waving away Kelly's concern as her eyes moved past the girl again to stare up at the house. Her expression was calculating and Kelly had no idea what she was thinking, she knew Brogan would not storm the fort now or try to take Erin, and there was also the fact that whatever plans the Crone had for Dean, they could obviously wait until he was safely tucked away in Hell. That left the younger Hound with no real guess at the thoughts moving through Brogan's head, even though she sincerely wanted to know. Kelly could make no plans while the others expected her to dance on a string and move where they directed. She knew she had no choice in the matter of taking Sam to see the Old Man, even if she wouldn't do it tonight or even tomorrow. Kelly Jones knew all too well the result if she refused to go. The Old Man would come looking for her and he would find her. _And when he does, I'll be in even hotter water than I am already_. Rubbing the back of her neck, Kelly let out a loud aggravated sigh.

"Very well," she grumbled. "I'll go see the Old Man after I finish my hunt here." She glanced up into Brogan's clear blue eyes. "Does that answer please you?"

"Perhaps if it had less stubbornness behind it." Bethany said. But a triumphant grin had split her face like an axe from ear to ear. Kelly had rarely seen her so pleased. Apparently, she'd gotten more than she'd expected. "But I will also report your tardiness to our superiors, I can't imagine the Kennel Master being pleased with you. I assume he believes he raised you better than that." A pleasantly chilled smile replaced the grin, as Brogan looked Kelly over again. "I expect he'll give you a sound strapping and send you back to your kennel howling." Her smile grew a bit wider and a bit colder as the blasting howl of a horn sang through the air. "I hope he'll inform me when he does, I'd love to be present when he makes you squeal."

"Maybe you will." Kelly responded. She was trying to ignore the cold frigid knot tightening in her stomach and the frozen tingle of fingers trembling across the hairs at the back of her neck. A chill slithered up her spine at the mention of strapping and her jaw muscles squeezed as her molars ground together. She was no one's whipping boy. "But if that's all you came to say, you should be going." She swallowed the terrified lump growing behind her lymph nodes. "The Hunt has gone off into the east and only seven hours remain before daylight, you wouldn't want to get caught here when the sun rises."

If Fothad Canainne was riding with Herne and his hunters that meant he'd taken to spending time in the Otherworld. _He's just as suspect to the laws of the Wild Hunt now._ But only for the time he spent riding with the C'wn Annwn and the C'wn Mamau. She watched with pleasure as Brogan's face hardened and her mouth tightened.

"You and your master will go see Old Man." She spat. "Or face the consequences."

Mockingly, Kelly pressed her fist to her chest, her hand right above her heart and gave a shallow bow. "The order is heard and received Great One." She said, her voice containing trace amounts of sarcasm. "As you have said, it shall be done."

"To the letter?" Bethany asked. "In the name of our Mother, Malt-y-Nos and in the spirit of the Wild Hunt?"

"In her name do I hunt Evil and the Undead, until the day Thanatos comes and carries my wraith to the Summer Land." Kelly bowed a little lower as she spoke the sacred promise. Vows were nothing to be made a fool of and her conviction to her duty had only once wavered in her many years of service. She wished she could remember when that was and why. She had been punished for it, she was sure, and was working out her sentence still. In the life of a Hound nothing could be greater than the commitment to duty, not love, not bonds, not even loyalty or friendship. "So, I swear in the name of the Hunt, the Mother, and the Crone. All I am is hers and all I will be is hers, from now until the end of days."

"Until the time, we all return home to the Summer Land, when our spirits will forever rest at ease." Bethany intoned.

She looked up at Kelly again, noticing that the other woman had yet to raise her eyes. She disliked the brunette Hound a great deal and that had not changed in the many years she had known her. _Though she once wore a more beautiful face and a worthier name._ The defiant spirit remained the same and it was even more rebellious now. _Cassandra should have taken my advice and recalled her._ Another should have been sent to take her place, she was an unstable element to the fruition of the Mother's plans and Bethany doubted the other Hound's sincerity. _But she is no longer truly fey._ She had been contaminated by her human form and then by the demon. Bethany knew that the Mother would never have chosen one of her purer children for the mission; it would have been a waste of valuable resources. Still, Bethany wished they could have chosen someone else, another who was less flawed, one not quite so broken. Someone loyal. Keely had already proven once that her dedication to the mission could be overridden by personal entanglements, and Bethany had no wish to see history repeat itself, or see another hundred years of planning necessary to rectify one Hound's mistake.

"Amen." Kelly added cheekily as she glanced up at Bethany, breaking the other Hound's meditative contemplation of the past.

"I'm going." Bethany snapped. "Do something about the lurking Damned before you return to your master." She fixed the dark eyed Hound with a hard glare. "You've grown so lax to not have sensed its presence." She watched the younger girl lift her chin slightly, challengingly. "Find it, remove it, eat it if you're hungry. Just make it gone."

"As the Great One commands," Kelly said, her voice wry. "So do I obey."

Kelly watched as Bethany cast one final glance over her shoulder and sniffed. Then, she withheld a sigh of relief as the older blonde woman disappeared into the murky darkness. Her sharp eyes, reflecting the street lamps, watched as a large night black hound dashed off down the street. Her gaze followed it until it reached the end of Breyer Lane and leapt into a pocket of misty gray fog, vanishing in an instant. Obviously, the Hound knew a quicker way to return to her fellows. For several long moments, Kelly stood alone in the cold, her entire body stiff, her back erect, her golden eyes narrowed. Then, sure that Brogan was gone, she felt herself relax as she glanced around, sniffing the air.

To the west the air carried the faintest hint of sulfur, but by now it was a shallow footprint leading nowhere. She let her head fall backwards, as she tipped her gaze up to stare at the moon. It was waning, a few days past the full moon, and the dark shadows of the earth covered a small quarter of its surface, hiding the rabbit from view. Kelly tried to shake Brogan's words from her mind and the order to take Sam to meet with Old Man, neither had sounded appealing, but she would meet with the ancient Hound anyway. Deep down, she feared him more than any of the others. Old Man was of the few Hounds respected by all members of the C'wn Mamau, and he would be the one to put her and Sam through their paces. It worried her that he'd requested them specifically. It didn't bode well for the future. _But neither does being stalked by one of the damned._ She would use the conventional term of "demon" with the brothers and Bobby. _But one day I'll make them see past their noses._ Covering her mouth with her hand, Kelly checked to the east and then the west again. What business could a damned soul have with them? She wondered. This one didn't smell the same as the one who'd murdered the three youths in the farm house, its scent held a lingering question. It hadn't been hostile for the few moments it observed the home of Isaac and Tamara Cole.

Kelly shook her head again, she would figure this out, it would be slow going but she would figure it out. Silently, she climbed the steps and headed back inside. Tomorrow would come quickly and she wanted to get as decent a night's sleep as she could before it arrived. Her fingers closed around the brass knob and pushed open the white wooden door. She stepped inside and crossed the entryway to the living room where the others were sleeping. She silently moved around a glass-plated coffee table and knelt down beside a white couch patterned with lavender flowers. To her right at a diagonal, Dean Winchester was sleeping in a red and orange plaid armchair. The leg rest and been extended and Dean was currently flopped over in an extremely uncomfortable looking position. His head was pressed to the left while his body was turned over, his right arm bent up behind his back. Dean's eyes were closed and he was snoring softly, his lips fluttering with each exhale, a pleasant smile covered his mouth. She was relieved to see that he looked peaceful. Assuming that Bobby had found a couch somewhere else and that Erin was nestled in a bed somewhere, Kelly turned her attention back to the young man on the couch.

Sam Winchester was sleeping peacefully with several locks of brown hair tossed across his forehead. He was turned towards her, partially on his side, partially on his back, his shoulder jutting into the pillows and his neck crooked sideways on the two small squares he'd stacked beneath him. His eyes were closed, his lips slightly open with a bit of drool leaking out of the corner of his mouth. One arm was draped across the top of the couch, while the other's knuckles scraped the floor. His legs were crossed, with his booted feet protruding off its right arm. To Kelly he looked content.

Smiling, she reached out with a careful thumb and wiped away the drool. Sam was always at his most adorable when he slept. He mumbled something and waved at her hand as she caressed his cheek for a moment. Her stomach warmed with the sight of him. He was her partner, her master, and her friend. Deep down she believed that he'd grow into one of the finest hunters that the C'wn Mamau had ever seen, that they would tell legends about him in the days long after his bones were dust and his soul gone on the Summer Land. She believed in him. Gently, and with the knowledge that Dean was lost deep in his own dreams, she brushed away the hair clouding Sam's forehead and pressed her lips against it. It was a warm kiss, one filled with the knowledge of his feelings for her and it was a soft kiss, light with the fact that she could never give him all of what he wanted from her. Kelly settled on her knees and gazed down at her master, her hand moving to rest on his chest. She didn't know what she would do without his support, without his hugs, and without his tizzy of questions or his bright dedicated search for a way to save his brother. Kelly knew that she loved him, though it was a quiet love, one that was gentle like him and rested at the back of her mind.

This love was not as strong as the one she had for his brother, Dean. That one made her want to scream and shout, rant and break, caught her in a stormy swirl of emotions and never let her loose. Her love for Dean was the kind that blinded her to all else, filled her days with longing and wanting, and her nights with misery. But, in the months that had followed their break up, Kelly had discovered a new set of feelings, ones hidden away from the rest of her and captured in a box in the deepest depths of her heart. It was only in the quiet of the night, when all other sounds had faded away and both boys lay asleep in their beds that Kelly Jones allowed these feelings to come out. They filled her gaze with warmth as she gazed down at the younger Winchester. It was easy to ignore when she filtered it out, but when it took hold of her it was impossible to forget. She knew she could never let him feel it, the quiet gentle love she had for him. So, she buried it away, knowing that it was as unfair to Sam as it was to Dean. She refused to move from one brother to the next. Kelly Jones wasn't that shallow kind of girl. She'd decided the first time she'd noticed these feelings that she wouldn't force Sam to experience a love that could only ever be half-hearted. Kelly knew it would be worse for him, because he would always know and feel her regrets over Dean. It was unfair. So, she would never let him know.

Kelly's legs crumpled beneath her as she felt Sam's hand rise up to her cheek, his thumb stroking her skin softly as she stared down at him. Her hand moved to his and she squeezed her eyes shut, sorrow welling up inside her as tears gathered at the edges of her black lashes. Pressing his fleshy palm to her cheek, she bit her lip and listened as he murmured her name. His voice was soft in the late night gloom. Though, Kelly considered, perhaps it was early morning. She knew the hand of the clock must be well past twelve, even if there were no chimes of a grandfather clock to confirm her suspicions. Silently, Kelly yawned. She could do nothing tonight that could not be done tomorrow. Hearing Dean's rough chuckle and throaty murmur, Kelly pushed Sam's hand away. She didn't glance at him, her thoughts wondering if he was once again dreaming about women who were not her. Following that, she couldn't help thinking that maybe she'd never meant all that much to him. He seemed to have forgotten her quickly, and now their only interactions involved snarling and sniping at each other as she watched him flirt with other women. Swallowing a lump, she settled down on the hardwood and rested the side of her face on Sam Winchester's chest. Tucking her knees up against her, she curled into a small ball and closed her eyes. Perhaps sorrow and worry would stay the hand of her nightmares, she didn't want to once again wake Sam with her screaming. As darkness closed behind her eyes, she felt her dreams swallow her, and behind them was the most terrifying of laughs. It belonged to the man with Yellow-Eyes.

AN: Yes! I know! Kelly admitted that a part of her loves Sam! Shock! Horror! What will this mean for all the relationships in the story? Hmm, I guess I'll have to write to find out. ;)

I know it's been a little while since my last update, but I was busy as usual. I'm sorry this one had so little action in it, especially since the next will be about dreams and then we'll get back to the action of Seven Deadly Sins. But as you are sure to know, the Kelly part of the plotline needs to be fleshed out and set up before we can all go on with the Winchester side of the story. So I hope you enjoy the bits where the Fey come and talk, because that will be important later. So, yeah, I hoped you enjoyed Kelly and Bethany's tet-a-tet. There will be more of her, and this story will also most likely see the return of Rhett and Samuel Colt. I can't wait for that ^_^.

I especially want to thank Elm Treigh and angelyenc for being such consistent reviewers, trust me, your constant support always inspires me to write more quickly and I always look forward to hearing what you have to say. Another special thanks goes to Chrisna, I enjoyed your review of chapter five and I'm looking forward to hearing from you again!

To all the readers who are not reviewing… well, I hope you'll change your mind because your opinions mean a lot to me and feedback always inspires me to write more quickly.

Anyway, remember feedback=love.


	9. Chapter 8: One Step Closer

Chapter Eight: One Step Closer

Dean Winchester was a bubble in a world of bright silver and brilliant gold. Everything was shining. His vision was blurry and it felt like he was watching snow flakes fall across his chest, the land around him was covered in high piles of snow, but he didn't feel cold. He watched the flakes melt on his pectorals and realized he was naked. He lay strapped on a bed, his wrists bound by leather straps. His head lay between two high pillows, cushioned perfectly as he stared up at a pale violet colored sky. He could barely move his head to look around, but he smelled the scents of pine. He was in a forest.

What the hell? The last thing he remembered he was falling asleep on an extremely uncomfortable couch. Darkness hit him and then… _this…_ The word was tinged by a touch of disgust because this place brought to mind everything Dean Winchester despised. Cotton candy, unicorns, and My Little Pony, the sorts of things a grown man did not even think about, much less dream about.

Swallowing his disgust, Dean yanked at his wrist. This was his dream. He could escape if he wanted to. Make himself the lead singer at a Kiss concert and forget about this horrifying experience.

"Hey baby," The words hit his ears like a freight train hitting a gong. Dean nearly leaped out of his skin as he tried to look up. He recognized that voice. Dark hair brushed across his nose. "Was it good for you too?"

Maybe this dream wasn't so bad.

Dean turned his head to the side, the corner of his eye catching strands of thick ebony hair. Well, he thought it was hair. It was glossy and draped across the pillows to his left. He saw a hand reaching up to pet the underside of his exposed forearm, a long sharp nail trailing sensuously down towards his elbow. He was all for BDSM, under special and certain circumstances, but this was a little much. He was normally more than willing to let the "evil witch" work her will on him, but that meant seeing the girl who was behind it.

"Yeah," he said. "I suppose it was."

"Suppose?" The question dripped off her lips with contempt as she tossed her head. He watched as she moved into his line of vision. Her skin a strange crisscrossed pattern, like the bark of an oak tree. And, the more chilling part, it was green. "Suppose?"

Dean felt himself swallow. Her voice had a dangerous aspect to it, while still remaining sultry, even sexy. That frightened him. He wasn't Captain Kirk, turned on by sexy alien babes from the planet Orion, fucking everything with a pulse. Well, he might, but he only did it with humans! But she was turning him on. Her hand was slipping up the inside of his thigh, tickling, teasing, the pads of her fingers massaging him and it was all he could do to keep from writhing beneath her touch. He didn't want to, but he couldn't help it.

He was staring into bright emerald eyes and the most beautiful face he'd ever seen. It was angular, with a soft nose shaped like a button, and a full mouth curved into a sensuous smile. Her cheeks were high, and the crown of her smooth forehead was covered by soft curling ebony hair with a mossy sheen that framed her face, falling over beautifully arching shoulders, wistfully hiding the nipples of a full, buxom, and naked bosom as she slid over him.

"Suppose?" She whispered the word into his ear. Her sultry voice making him, well, for lack of a better word, _rise_. "My darling, I am the best you've ever had." He swallowed, his throat dry. He wanted to tell her that she was far too confident. She couldn't possibly be the best he ever had. But at the same time, he realized it was true. That freaked him out. "And unlike the others, dearest, I want you." Her beautiful smooth hand cupped his chin and lifted it to stare deep into his hazel eyes. "I see your potential. I won't discard you for someone better." He jerked as her fingers closed around his thigh, massaging more vigorously. He realized she was practically straddling him. Her naked body covering his, her tongue running over the tip of his ear and down into the crevices. He shivered and, against his own will, groaned. Damn his traitorous body! "Someone who resembles the past." There was a high giggle, she pulled away, her lips pursed in contemplation. "You'll escape me soon." She whispered. "But don't worry, dearest, you'll be back." Her finger ran down his cheek as she tossed her head. "I'll make sure of it."

"Back?" He asked hoarsely. His throat was incredibly dry and the world around him seemed to sparkle more brilliantly. "What do you mean?"

"You're not ready yet." She said. "You don't want me yet. Not enough. But you will." A pleased smile cut across her face, exposing human shaped mossy teeth. "You will."

"What?" He groaned. He could feel himself being tugged. The world was spinning faster; the violet sky further away. The woman's voice was in back of his ears, her touch cool against his skin.

"The past always repeats itself, dearest." She said. Her voice almost an echo in his ears, it sounded gleeful but at the same time sad. "She can't escape it and neither can he. They chose him for a reason, brave little hunter. It's a secret, dearest, but I'll tell you. I want you to trust me, they chose him because he's…"

Dean couldn't hear anymore, he was dragged away, down, down, down, falling. He fell towards the darkness and the bleaker world. His heart unsettled as it beat in his chest. He hit his body and slept, dreaming of duller and darker things.

***

Erin dreamed.

It was a strange feeling, for she was fey and fey did not dream. They inspired the dreaming. They teased mortals and taunted them in their dreams. That was how they touched the minds of men, through the Land of Dreams. But she had never dreamed. That was a thing mortals did. Immortals did not. They could not. Like so many other things mortals took for granted, dreaming was something forbidden to them. Only those who had been touched by insanity could fall into their own mind and see the random broken images that mortals called the dream. Insanity was something to be feared. It meant banality was creeping closer, that a fey would cease to be chaos and become something else. Mortal. The others, the fey's kin would kill them, a kinder fate than losing all that they were. A fey who was mad was something to be feared, killed, and scattered. To become a wraith was better than the alternative.

Erin shook her head. She had no reason to fear. This was not a dream. She was aware. She knew and knew herself. She had spent too much time around mortals and a tainted fey, they were making her jump at shadows. Especially the one called Kelly Jones. Erin had read of her, had been excited about meeting her. She'd been considered one of the greats of the C'wn Mamau. One of their strongest hunters. One who held to the ancient covenant that held all the Black Hounds by their word and made them the lowlifes of the Otherworld. They were the ones who protected mortals from the forces that preyed upon them. Protected them from everything but other mortals and made covenants with special, chosen humans who bound them to the world, thus protecting themselves from the encroaching banality in a land filled with their greatest enemy, Order. It was true that Kelly Jones had been great. Once. But that was long ago.

Erin looked around at the gray world. No, this was not the dream. This was Memory. She could see herself kneeling at a desk in her mother's cave, pouring through her father's notes. As the leader of the C'wn Annwn, the hounds of the Lord Annwn, a king of the Otherworld, it was his duty to keep tabs on the actions of the C'wn Mamau and watch the Lord Annwn's sister Malt-y-Nos, the Crone for signs of treachery. For she would stab her brother in the back or eye at the first moment of opportunity, Erin breathed deeply, and her father had taught her that the Lord Annwn could never be caught in a moment of weakness. His strength must never be questioned.

Brushing a strand out of her eyes, she looked away. She had gone over these memories too many times. There was nothing useful here. Nothing that could tell her why those of the C'wn Mamau would revive a broken hound like Kelly Jones, why they would call back one they had sentenced to live out the rest of her life as a human. Why they had placed her at the center of this grand game, why they had bound her to Sam Winchester, a hunter with a possibly great and noble destiny. Erin shook her head, there was no possibility about it the fate strands said this was so and her father had believed them. His notes had spoken about a Return and a Chosen Hunter who was meant to lead it. Erin was sure that hunter was Sam Winchester, the hunter who had died and risen by the hand of a tainted fey.

_But why her?_ Why one who had fallen so far? Why one who had been human, who was still tainted by human ideals, human emotions? A fey whose breast carried a traitor's heart? A fey whose loyalty lay not with duty but with her own desires? Who was willing to break the covenant?

Erin was sure Kelly Jones did not know who she was. _How else could she live with herself? With the shame?_ And Erin would not tell her, even though playing such a prank on the amnesiac was her kind of game. She would not let the temptation take her, humorous as it would be to watch the fragile creature shatter to pieces. _She must stay alive._ She was bound to Samuel Winchester, they were tied together. _Unworthy as she is._ And Erin did not want to ruin this great cosmic joke too early, others more powerful than she wouldn't let her forget it if she ruined their fun. _And not even Father could protect me then._

Erin shook her head and stared at the small child sitting at the too large desk, flipping through thick volumes. No, she would find nothing here. She would have to look beyond herself if she wished to find answers. She looked to the west. Were she in the Otherworld it would be easy to step into the Land of Dreams and find a mortal with a better grasp of the situation. To see the greater portion of their mind and what they kept hidden from those around them, to play with it, to manipulate them with it. Her mother had taught her how. It was the specialty of the Green Ladies. Much the same way her mother had instructed Erin in the art of Necromancy. Erin herself did not understand what it was to be dead, but knew how to speak with them, to heal flesh, to reanimate. Those were the basics and she was only an apprentice.

Erin stepped sideways. It was difficult to navigate the Land of Dreams outside of the Otherworld. It was unpredictable and consumed more of the power she used to fuel her glamour. Erin bit her lip, all fey knew that when the glamour failed and their true selves were exposed to the world and the mortals, left vulnerable to the greater pressures of banality and order that they either went insane or died. Erin didn't intend for that to be her fate. Still, she needed to know.

_I must know what Sam Winchester knows._

That was the sad truth. She had come here for him, to guide him, to save him from being tied to a fey bordering on being infected by banality. Who had once been on the verge of going insane, if not actually so. No, she would rescue him. She would make him see that Keely, that Kelly Jones would only lead him down a path towards his doom. She had tricked them into taking her, played on the story of her mother, of her own situation, made them pity her. Made him pity her.

Humans could be easily moved by pity and responsibility. It was a trait to be exploited and she intended to use her perceived childishness to her advantage. Her mother… Erin paused and blinked. She did not miss her mother, not really, the fey had been kind in her own way, had cared for her in her own way. But she had not loved her, not in the way that humans understood. And Erin did not regret her death. She did not really understand the word "regret". It was not something immortals did. Erin shook her head. This was not the time to be remembering her mother. Erin turned her mind back to the task at hand, to the problem before her, the fact that she was beginning to care for these strange creatures she traveled with.

No, that wasn't right. She didn't care about the others, especially not Kelly. The hound irritatingly seemed to take everything in stride. She looked down on Erin, treated her like a child and a fool. In addition, her bond with brothers was deep and seemingly impenetrable. But Erin would find a way to break it. She would. She wasn't about to be intimidated, not by this shell of what had once been.

Erin sucked in a deep breath. She had the strength to step into Sam's dreams, if she was able to find him. She hoped she could do it without catching Kelly's attention. _Is she doing the same thing?_ Erin wondered. Was she following the same pattern? Did she understand about the Land of Dreams? Did she remember?

As a black dog, she could move through the dreams and memories of men without the same kind of penalty Erin suffered. She was the kind of creature dreamed up by the minds of mortals, closer to humans than any of the other Sidhe, any of the Fair Folk or her kind's closer kin. The C'wn Mamau's cousins, the demonic versions, those called hellhounds, often stalked men through their dreams, leading them towards their demise, their death in days. They did more than simply chase down men who had sold their souls. They had hobbies. They hunted for Death, stole normal mortal souls that caught their attention and devoured them the way that the C'wn Mamau fed upon ghosts and the weaker members of the Damned.

All of that was interesting, but, Erin wondered, didn't answer the greater question at hand. Did Kelly Jones remember that part of her heritage? Did she move through the thoughts and dreams of the Winchester brothers? Would she sense what Erin planned to do?

_I will never know, if I don't try._ Erin let her eyes fall shut. It was unnecessary, but she found it comforting. Then, she sought for Sam.

Keeping his face in mind, she reached out with long fingers, seeking his mind and his deeper subconscious, where his dreams were. She floated out of her own Memory, knowing that Sam's dreaming should be nearby. Didn't look around, focused on her own goal, on the image she'd seen so many times before. The velvet darkness enveloped her. The sky above and the world below were the blackest black. All around her glimmered tiny balls that glowed a blazing white like the mortal world's star filled sky. They extended off into the un-seeable distance and Erin floated onto a shining silver path, her feet settling on it, keeping her thoughts focused on Sam and the back of her mind on her mortal shape. She would find him.

She moved over and under the tiny silver balls, each easy to look into. The black hunter, Isaac, she remembered. In his dream his fingers wrapped around the throat of a creature with slick wet skin and webbed fingers. It was grinning, perhaps howling with cold laughter. She was about to step away, but then noticed, to her surprise, that the creature shifted from the strange amphibious creature into Kelly with bright blazing yellow eyes. She was grinning the same grin, her lilting voice singing the same taunts. Something about a little girl, how she looked with her skirt stripped away, how she tasted as the flesh was stripped from her bones.

Erin shook her head. The man was a fool. He had no reason to fear Kelly, for all that the fey was fallen, she was still Seelie and she wouldn't harm him under his own roof. She turned away; she didn't have time for mortal thoughts and mortal fears. Besides, she knew that if she lingered too long she ran the risk of being sucked in and forced to play out her part in the dream. And Erin Chang did not relish being shot at.

Erin paused, an odd smile tugging the corners of her mouth. Erin Chang. How quickly she'd become accustomed to her assumed name. How quickly she'd accepted this mortal shape. It was puzzling and troubling. In this moment she could barely remember her true name, even the name her mother had called. Very troubling.

She moved to the next small silvery star and peered inside. It was Dean Winchester's mind, and he was dreaming something strange. Something that Erin didn't recognize and didn't understand, he was standing on a wide stage with brilliant florescent lights blazing behind him. Spelling out a word. The one human's used to describe mouth-to-mouth contact during their strange mating rituals. He was out in front, shirtless. His face covered in a strange mix of black and white paint, his tongue extended as he howled into a tiny black instrument. Humans, of both genders, were pressing against some kind of fence, howling at him. Intrigued, she reached out to touch it and then it was gone, he was gone, drawn away.

Erin blinked and looked around, suddenly concerned and angry. She had nearly been distracted from her mission and if someone with greater power wanted to play with the older Winchester's dreams, well, it was none of her concern. He was of no concern. The only one who mattered was Sam. Erin finally came to the mind she was looking for, she reached out to lay her hand against the bright light and found a hard crystalline surface beneath her palm. It was defended. Erin frowned and pressed harder, knowing it would crack beneath enough pressure. But it held firm. So, she pressed harder and, in a blink, found herself falling.

She fell and fell, the way she had the first time she'd entered the mortal world. Tumbling down and landing with a crash, she was in a dark cold cell. Manacles were wrapped around each of her wrists, draining her, burning against her flesh. She winced, biting her lip, she knew she'd been caught in a trap. _Damn it!_ She growled. _I knew his mind had to be protected! I knew she couldn't possibly be as inept as she appears!_ Erin struggled against the manacles and found them draining. _Iron._ The realization chilled her blood. She was going to die in this trap.

Looking up, she saw nothing, a wooden floor. Her back was pressed against cool stone. A wall, she was in a prison. Her eyes searched the small square room. Her sharpened vision could see a small wooden door shut at the end of the room and three stairs leading out. Across from her there was another set of manacles hanging loosely off the wall and a few bleached bones. Erin sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils, trying to soothe her rapidly beating heart. They were old bones, musty and decomposing, calcifying where they lay. A century old perhaps, but maybe more, a change in the flow stale air might tell her different. If she could just…

Erin stopped. _I'm not in a trap._ She realized. The manacles were burning into her wrists, but they weren't truly hurting _her_. This was a memory. She was in the Memory. These were memories. But whose?

She could feel her strength waning, her head falling forward, limp hair covering her cheeks, she could barely lift her arms to push it away. Sweat dripped down her forehead, trailing over the bridge of her nose to slide off the end and splash onto the ground. Erin could feel herself drifting, almost feverish and tried to pull herself out. She stayed, stuck. She would have to remain until whatever memory this was released her.

Across the room there was a creak, a slow one, groaning against Erin's sensitive ears. She shivered, her heart beat quickening as she swallowed the encroaching terror, she knew who was about to walk through that door. She knew, knew in the depths of her soul and she was afraid, oh so afraid. Erin could feel despairing tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, hopelessness consuming her.

_Will they ever find me?_ The thought was not her own and yet it echoed through her head like a drum beat. There was a burning fear behind it, fear that whoever it was would come, fear for them if they did. A desire to see them again and the souring knowledge that probably never would. _Dean? Sam?_ The names coursed through Erin and nearly made her jump, suddenly she knew who's memories she was trapped by. _Will I ever see you again?_ A spasm of pain shot through Erin, her heart shuddering. A sudden realization struck her. She didn't have much time left. She was going to die soon. _I don't want to._ The words shook Erin, the conviction behind them was startling. _I'm not ready yet. I have to find my way back. I need to see them again. Oh, Dean!_

Anguish swept up Erin's throat, closing it. This was so different from the Kelly she'd met. A composed woman with hard eyes and she was someone who nothing seemed to rattle. Here she was, lying feverish against a wall, barely able to raise her head, inches from Death's enclosing grip.

_I'm scared._ The words whispered through Erin's mind. _I don't want to die. I want to live._ And a tiny voice murmured. _I want to see them again. I need to see him again._ She needed to tell him that she was sorry.

Erin flinched as the door flung open and a short man walked into the room. She felt her eyes snap up, her gaze following each and every movement, following him as he strode casually towards her. Erin had never seen him before, but she felt her heart freeze at the sight of him. He was old, ancient really and she could tell that the face he wore was just a mask, some poor mortal he'd hitched a ride on and ridden into the ground. His dress was understated, an old cowboy style, Midwestern maybe. Erin knew this wasn't her own mind making these observations, the memories were telling her this and she was a little grateful. She watched him tilt his head, his yellow eyes flashing in the darkness. And Erin's own heart froze as she realized that he had no pupils. This was one of the Damned.

She had never seen one before and found herself wishing another could have been her first, this one made her blood run cold. The way he looked at her was sad, even sympathetic, but beneath it something else lurked, something predatory and terrible. As if he already knew the outcome and was merely playing with her the way a cat played with a mouse, biding his time. _A snake always does before he strikes._ That was her mind, making its own observation. Despair choked her.

"And," the man's voice came out in a slow drawl as he drew nearer. Erin found herself resisting the urge to scramble closer to the wall and sat still, her eyes on his, never leaving his face. Oh, how she wanted to look away! "How is my precious puppy doing today?"

His booted feet clicked on the stone floor, Erin decided that they were in some kind of cellar, something that had been modified to look like a dungeon. "The same." Erin said. It wasn't her words leaving her lips, but it was her voice that spoke them.

"Ah," he chuckled. "As usual, the dull and expected answer." He tilted his head to the side and a wide smile spread over his lips. Clearly, he was enjoying this. "Once in a while, kid, you express what you really feel." He stopped, short and fixed Erin with wicked eyes that gleamed knowingly. "We're gonna be partners after all, and what's a bit of concern between friends?" He had knelt down, his fingers caressing the links binding the manacles, and he wasn't looking at her. But Erin knew he was expecting a response.

"I thought…" Erin coughed. "Obedience was…" It was difficult to even force the words past her lips. It took too much energy, energy she should be conserving. "The watchword?" She managed to smile, it was almost ingratiating.

"Nice of you to remember." He chuckled. "A good dog always knows its place." His finger reached up to stroke the side of Erin's cheek. She shivered beneath his touch. "Maybe you're finally a step closer to learning yours."

"I…" The word caught in Erin's throat, she felt sad, almost defeated. "I know."

"Do you?" He asked. "I thought I'd have to force you to the brink of death before you figured it out. You're more clever than I gave you credit."

"You never…gave me much of that." Erin's voice hissed out through her teeth, she could feel the burning in her wrists, sapping away her strength, her life.

"True." The Yellow-Eyed Demon said. "Have you finally learned?"

"Yes… You've made me see…" The words were wrenched out of her. "I know what I must do…" She coughed again, her hair clinging to her cheeks as the Damned's finger continued to descend down the curve of her chin.

"Yes?"

"Kill you!"

The growl took Erin by surprise but seemed to amuse the Yellow-Eyed Damned. There was a pause and then Erin felt her body go sprawling as a hard palm caught her cheek. Her elbow hit the ground hard, moving her wrist forward so that her body wouldn't land on the manacle and burn her further. She winced, her aching body screaming as she lay against the cool floor, her cheek pressed to the stone to soothe the throbbing. She didn't move as he straightened over her.

"Disappointing." The demon began. "I'd hoped you'd finally see it." He sighed and began climbing to his feet. Erin stared up at him through the limp strands fallen across her eyes, her entire body quivering. She didn't understand.

"I…" She whimpered. "I have…" Her hand struggled to move so that she could right herself, but she didn't have the strength, it was gone all she could do was lie here and wait. "The only…way out…is you…or…" She squeezed her eyes shut. _Oh, God!_ What was she doing begging the maker? Perhaps it was just a human colloquialism and not actual praying. Erin wished she could grit her teeth, Kelly Jones could not possibly be that tainted. Not yet. _Oh please!_

"You know what'll happen if you die." The hand was on her head, ruffling her hair. It was almost…fond. "You'll be leaving free to do whatever I want to Sammy." The voice was close, air brushing her ear. "And I'll kill all your little friends. Starting with that fat old hunter." There was a pause. "What was his name, my baby chickadee? Oh, right," Erin felt her heart sinking in her chest, there was another painful spasm. "Bobby Singer." Fear made her throat tremble, because she knew that for all his playing, he meant it. "And when Daddy's dead and gone, it'll be your mother figure's turn, ole' Ellen Harvelle and her Roadhouse. Then," his voice grew cooler. "Then, I'll go after your Deano and make his brother watch as I stuff those intestines of his down that wide throat. I'll make sure the last thing he remembers is me handing him what's left of your corpse." He chuckled, stroking her hair. "You can save 'em all, my sweet little puppy. You can make sure none of 'em die screaming and besides that, I promise, I'll only make you do what you were made to." His voice was a soft murmur in her ear. "Kill things that aren't human." Then, he stood. "You think on that. You ain't got much time left, Kellster. I'll be back."

Erin could hear his footsteps growing further away, clicking on the stone. She could feel herself breaking apart. He was right, she didn't have much time; she was dying. Her strength was only a quarter of what it had been and the conversation had taken more out of her than it should. Everything he said was superfluous, he would kill her family if he had to, or wanted to. She couldn't do anything to stop that and she doubted that by taking his offer she could save Sam. _But if there's a chance._ She had to take it. Only one thing was truly important. _Living._ She couldn't do anything after she was dead. _And I doubt peace is waiting for me there._ She doubted she'd ever see her human family again. _Even in death I can't go home._ There was only one option.

"Wait." Erin muttered. "Wait."

_No!_ Erin's own mind shouted. _No! Are you crazy? You can't give in to him! You can't!_ But she couldn't stop it, she was stuck until the memory was done. _Stop!_

The man paused. He was halfway to the door as he turned around. "Say somethin', pup?"

"I'll…" The words were weak even in her mouth. "I'll do it."

"So quickly?" He chuckled. "I was ready to let ya think on it another day. Weaken your resolve and so on. Would've been a bit more fun if you'd only been able to gasp out 'Yes, master'."

"I'm not…" She choked. "There yet."

"You will." He strode across the room and knelt back down in front of her. Erin felt her body spasming on the floor, her chest and legs convulsing as her arms hung limp, her wrists flopping as the metal burned against them. She knew now where Kelly had gotten her scars. "And I've got eternity."

"You need me…" She coughed. "Need me strong enough to do what you want."

"True." He nodded. "So, you're finally ready to seal the deal."

"I'll…" She winced, her voice growing shakier. There wasn't much time left. "I'll agree to the terms you've set."

Erin didn't want to see anymore. She didn't want to hear how far this fey had fallen, far enough to make a deal with a damned soul, to sell herself into it's service. She had to go, needed to go. This was making her sick, making her writhe. She felt nothing for Kelly except disgust. She had to escape. _Now!_ Her mind shouted and suddenly she was propelled upwards, away from the scene below, back towards the starry night and her own body. Below, the words were growing fainter and fainter but she could still here one last phrase.

"I'll agree to follow your commands, to do as you say, until you release me from my oath. But there are two things I want in return."

Then Erin was knocked back to darkness as exhaustion took her. Succumbing to a peaceful, memory free sleep.

***

Kelly woke from another troubled dream as sunlight streamed in through the curtains, hitting her eyes and making her blink. She lifted her head up from where she'd gone to sleep the night before, her legs and neck aching from being left in an uncomfortable position. Rubbing her forehead, she winced. Everything seemed to be going wrong lately, the order from Bethan Hill the night before still fresh in her mind and the memories of the day she'd sworn herself to Azazel's service hovering behind her thoughts. It was all very troubling. She still didn't know what the fey wanted of Sam or if it had been simply a twist of fate that she was now partnered to him.

Silently, trying to rid the sleepies from the corners of her eyes, Kelly reached for the small ball in her mind that was Sam. She hoped to find him contentedly sleeping, but instead only found concern. She looked up and met his warm brown eyes. A strand of brown hair had fallen across his forehead and she resisted the urge to push it back.

"Hey." He said. "I was wondering how long it'd take you to notice."

"Yeah?" She asked. "Guess I didn't do too well." That got a laugh out of him and she silently listened as the warmth of his voice filled the tiny living room.

"Not at all." Sam chuckled. He was still gazing down at her, examining every crack, crevice, and scar on her face. His eyes had paused worriedly on the bags beneath her eyes, he'd been sure, and still was too be honest, that she wasn't getting enough sleep.

"Ugh," she groaned. Her head felt like lead hanging on a twig between her shoulders. She wouldn't have been surprised if it tumbled off. "What time is it?"

"Four Thirty." Sam said.

"Afternoon?" The hopefulness was inescapable.

"Morning."

"Why so early?" She mumbled, burying her face against Sam's chest and squeezing her eyes shut determinedly. "There's no goddamned justice in the universe."

Sam felt her twitch against him as he patted her back consolingly, trying to keep his amusement in check. It was easier if he kept it bottled up in his own mind, too much leaking too early could make her cranky. _But it's the only time of the day that a competent and occasionally intimidating hunting hound reverts into an adorable puppy._ No matter which form she assumed and creepy as he was sure it would seem, Sam liked watching her sleep. He liked seeing her content again, free of her worries about Dean, fears for him, and the stress that came with being who and what she was. _Not to mention, she's hilarious when sleep deprived._

"Nope." He agreed.

He felt her lift her head from his chest and stare up at him blearily, confusion suffusing her expression. "Why are you awake?" Kelly asked.

"You forgot again, didn't you?" He asked. Sam was trying to sound cheerful with her. It helped him forget that he no longer needed to eat like a normal human. "I don't need to sleep."

After all, he was dead. The dead didn't sleep, didn't need to dream, and that left him free to either watch her or his brother catch a few winks. It was that or research all night. That was one of the few good things about his condition, he didn't lose time researching their latest enemy and catching up on Internet forums. Watching as Kelly tossed and turned in her dreams, forced to realize that he was helpless to save her from her nightmares, relegated to the duty of waking her when they seemed too much. He was glad he hadn't needed to tonight and he'd been happy to attempt sleep when she'd come back inside and collapsed on top of him.

"Ah-huh." She murmured, her eyelids fluttering over brown-gold eyes as her head dropped back down towards his chest. "That's nice."

"Kelly?" Sam asked as her body slumped back against the couch. Her position looked very uncomfortable. He was petting her back and shifting a bit on the couch. If she was going back to sleep then it was his duty to get up and give her a place where she could snooze more comfortably. "Hey?" He shook her shoulders gently as he tried to straighten up.

A sleepy arm was thrown across his chest, pinning him back against the couch. "Five more minutes?" He heard her yawn.

Sam felt his face growing warm and was suddenly glad that his brother wasn't around to see this. It would probably make his brother's ears steam and his head pop off and spin like a twirling top. _And he'd give me the cold shoulder for a couple days._ Spending more time making impromptu phone calls to all the local girls he kept stored in his cell.

"Sure." He swallowed. Dean probably wouldn't be up until seven and by then Kelly would be awake enough that this wouldn't be an issue. A thought struck him as he was lying still, Kelly's head resting against his chest, her breath shakily going in and expelling out. "Hey," he murmured. "What were you dreaming about?" Sometimes, when she was on the verge of sleep, she'd tell him things that she didn't want him to know.

"Wasn't a dream…was a memory…." She mumbled into his shirt and then, after a moment, snorted. "You're stinky today."

"Thanks." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll remember to shower."

"Just need a change." Kelly responded. She hadn't moved her head from where it was resting on his chest. Her mouth moving against the plaid fabric, the creases and buttons leaving tiny red indentations in her skin. "Take off your shirt." It was the same sleep heavy tone and Sam nearly covered his mouth to hide a grin as her sluggish fingers tugged at his pocket. "Then you'll be perfect."

Much as he would have liked for this to continue, Sam couldn't let himself betray his brother or take advantage of Kelly's sleepy state. "So, you were dreaming about Azazel? What was it about?"

There was something about those combined phrases that set off her bullshit detector. Kelly's head shot up as her brown-gold eyes narrowed and she frowned at him. Her pert lips pursed sternly as she winced, settling on her knees. "What?"

"Only the Yellow-Eyed Demon puts those bags beneath your eyes." Sam said. "And you said you were remembering, not dreaming." He tried to match the irritation in her eyes with sternness and determination. "I'll get it out of you eventually, Kelly. So, just tell me."

She waved him away. "It wasn't so bad."

It was Sam Winchester's turn to say, "Ah-huh." Though his sounded more disbelieving, well, it did to his ears. "Right and I suppose waking up at four thirty AM had nothing to do with it."

Kelly glanced up at him with a quirked eyebrow. "Next time I'm sleeping opposite you and far away." She sighed. "You're getting too good at pestering me while I'm in almost wakey land." Her hand rose up again to rub her forehead and scrub her eyes, she yawned. Her tongue curling in her mouth like a cat's as her jaws opened wide, Sam resisted to urge to reach in and snatch it.

"Anyway, our bond tells me when your disturbed." That was an almost truth, normally the bond was like a ball of ice and Sam couldn't get anything out of it. Nothing except worry, and she was doing that now. "Kelly," he sighed. "I can't help you get past this if you don't…"

In an instant, she was on her feet and Sam knew that he'd said the wrong thing. Wincing, he watched as she stepped around the coffee table, casually keeping herself from bumping the wooden side or unsettling the magazines that littered its chipped, reddish surface. She moved away, crossing the room in a few long strides and came to a stop in front of the window. Her arms crossed over her chest, the cold barrier was back between them, the one that hid her feelings from him, keeping him at a distance. She'd shut up like a clam and it would take more than a crowbar to pry her open again. He would have to tread carefully.

Rubbing the back of his head, he swung his long legs over the edge of the couch and stared at her taut shoulders. He sucked in a deep silent breath, but that was more out of habit than anything else. Sam had learned that he didn't need to breathe. Still, he found the exercise comforting, a reminder that he was still human.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't mean that."

Crossing his arms over his knees, he leaned forward, his eyes locked on her back. Sam was walking on eggshells and the wrong word would make her clam up further. And that was the last thing he wanted. _Is it so hard for you to trust me?_ He wondered. Gazing at the dark hair sweeping her shoulders and the way her head was tilted forward, her fingers lifting to tug open the drapes, the way she peered out at the empty road. All these were signs of her current mood, silent signals that Sam had yet to fully decipher. He would though, eventually. _And I have all the time in the world to break down her defenses._ He felt a pang of guilt at that. _Dean should be the one._ He was the better hunter, more deserving of spending eternity with the woman he loved. _He shouldn't have to die in a year._ Dean should never have sold his soul. _Yeah, but wishes are for…_ His mind trailed off as he steepled his fingers beneath his nose. Sam knew that he needed to keep his mind on the task at hand.

"I've told you before," Kelly began. She sounded tired, but more awake than she'd been a few minutes ago. She could wake up quickly when she wanted to. "That it's my business." She glanced back over her shoulder at him. "Not yours."

"Yeah." He said. "But I'm your friend." Standing, Sam felt his knees bump the coffee table. The wooden legs shook a little as one of the magazines tumbled to the floor and lay between them. There was a hard pause as Sam gathered his bearings. Finally, he began again. "Your partner. According to the laws of your people, we're going to spend eternity together." He swallowed and watched her back stiffen. "You made me this way, Kelly, and I need to, no," he shook his head. "I deserve to know what it is that's bothering you."

She glanced back at him, stepping away from the window, but her arms remained crossed. Her expression was sad as her eyes met his. "Maybe," she began. "Maybe I don't want you to know that side of me."

"But I do." He replied.

She sighed softly. "You can't." Kelly said. "They're my sins, Sam, my burden. And I can't," she looked down. "No," she shook her head. "I won't share it with anyone." Her eyes met his again slowly and they were harder than before, but there was some emotion left in them.

"What else is a partner for?" Sam asked. He shuffled through the tiny space between the coffee table and the couch, stepping into the sunlight. "What else except to help you carry that burden? You don't have to go through this alone." Slowly, he made his way towards her. Each step careful, he didn't want to startle her or scare her, he just wanted her to know that he was there for her.

"No." She said.

Looking away, her eyes went back to the road, growing far away as the light caught her face and the shadows seemed to deepen. Those eyes were sorrowful and Sam wanted to wrap her up in his arms, to tell her it was okay for her to cry. But he knew that she wouldn't in front of him. Somehow, her mind had seemed to translate crying into weakness and that was something she refused to show others.

"Why not?" He asked.

"It's something that I…" Kelly trailed off and swallowed her sigh. "I just have to go through it alone."

"But you aren't." He continued. His voice stubborn as he took another step forward, suddenly close enough to touch her. "I'm here." He touched his chest. "And I feel what you do." Sam reached out, his hands settling on her shoulders.

"Sam." She sighed.

"And," he added, deciding to try a different tactic. "That means it's not just about you anymore."

She looked up at him for several long minutes and then away, down the hall. Shutting her eyes, she swallowed her exhale, shook her head and smiled. "You're a sweet guy, Sam Winchester." She said, finally. "And I don't deserve you." _And I won't ruin what you think of me with this._ What happened with Azazel was in the past and that was where Kelly wanted it to stay. She wouldn't expose Sam too it, he'd already suffered enough at the hands of the Yellow-Eyed Demon. He didn't need anything more added to the weight. She couldn't tell him what she'd done.

Sam chuckled. "Yeah," he shrugged. "I'm kinda aware."

He watched as her lips curled into a slight smile at that and, unable to resist temptation, he pulled her into a warm hug. His chin resting on the crown of her head, she pressed her cheek against his chest. He thought he felt her lungs lurch in a dry sob, but no others followed and he wondered if he'd imagined it. He held her against him, feeling her warmth in the early morning light, his heart quivering to the brink with emotion. Feelings he'd never tell her of, those were left for late night contemplation, when he wished that she'd chosen him instead of Dean. A hug was all he was allowed and he squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to make the moment last, sealing the heat and shape of her body into his memory. Fate had made her part of him and he a part of her. And even if he could never have her, he had that knowledge to comfort him. Deep in his heart, he was thankful for it. Though it was a feeling he would never tell Dean or Kelly about, his own secret.

Kelly let him go and he released her slowly, regretfully. He looked down to see her brown-gold eyes shining up at him, tears glittering on the edges of her black lashes. Finally, she smiled and glanced around the room. The silence of a sleeping household thick in the air as she nodded to herself, it was like she was making some kind of decision. Finally, she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips softly against his cheek. Sam held himself still as her lips lingered on his tanned flesh, nearly biting his lip to keep a flush from rising up his neck. Then, it was over as quickly as it'd begun. Kelly was settling back onto her heels, her eyes on him.

"You're a good man." She said. Her voice was soft, even against the resounding silence of the Isaac and Tamara's house. "And you'll make a great hunter." Awkwardly, Kelly patted his chest with her hand.

"So, you going to tell me?"

"And now that this touchy feely moment's over." Kelly continued over him, she was now ignoring his comments completely. "I have something to tell you, I had a visitor last night."

"Kelly." Sam's voice was stern. Glowing as he was from her two compliments, he didn't appreciate the way she was ignoring him or that she was changing the topic of conversation.

"An old friend came to give us our marching orders." Kelly said.

"Marching orders?" Sam asked. She'd never mentioned anything like this before. _But I should have known it was coming._ He would have been stupid to believe that the hounds of the C'wn Mamau would continue letting him wander across the country with his brother and Kelly killing whatever they found. "Is that good or bad?"

"Mostly bad," Kelly admitted. "'Cause we don't get to continue our summer holiday."

"Yeah?" Sam chuckled. It was funny hearing hunting described as a holiday.

"But the good news is that we can bring Dean with us and that we can finish our current hunt." Sam wondered how hard she'd had to fight for that.

"What about Erin?" He asked.

"That's the bad news." Kelly said, her lips twitching.

Sam laughed and shook his head. "Okay," he said. Knowing that he'd never manage to get her back onto the Azazel tangent, Sam decided to accept the flow of the conversation. "So, what do we have to do?"

"We've gotta go see someone." Kelly moved from foot to foot in irritation and swallowed. "A member of the C'wn Mamau named Old Man. He currently lives with his partner in Cicero, Indiana."

"So after this, we have to go there?" Sam asked. He knew that Dean wasn't going to like this. His brother hated anything and everything that had to do with the fey. _Everything except Kelly._ Though these days he wasn't completely sure. _And Erin certainly hasn't escaped._ But then they hadn't known her long and Sam was sure that Dean would eventually come around.

"Yeah." Kelly said. "Or else I get in some serious trouble."

"And we can't have that." Sam grinned.

Kelly smiled back at him. "Of course not." She said. "Who else is going to poke Dean in all the uncomfortable places?"

As she said his brother's name it was like some kind of magical spell had been broken and Sam was suddenly thrust back to reality. "Yeah," he said. Turning away from her, his eyes scanned the room for his books. It was time to get back to work. "So, I guess we should start focusing on the job at hand."

"Alright." She said.

"I'll go get my books."

Kelly's eyes followed him as he walked out of the room and when he was out of sight, her hand rose to her chest. Her heartbeat quickened in her chest, the memory still firm in her mind. "I can't tell him." She murmured. "Not ever."

Not about Azazel and not certainly not what she felt when he smiled. _I'm just lonely._ It was hard with Dean flirting at everything with legs and making an issue of doing it beneath her nose. She was getting tired of being jealous, tired of caring. _I want to save him from hell._ She wanted to figure out what was wrong. But he wasn't going to tell her. Her head nearly fell into her hands as she remembered the taste of Sam's skin beneath her lips. They didn't buzz the way they did when she kissed Dean. Still, it was a warming sensation. Plus, he was a wonderful man, good and kind. And she knew he cared about her. They were stuck together and he was doing his best to make the most of it. He was exactly what she needed.

"I can't." She repeated into her hand. He was Dean's brother and she couldn't, no, she wouldn't hurt her ex that way. She still loved him, more than she'd ever loved anyone, and her heart still spasmed whenever she saw him. She had to force down her jealousy when he flirted with some local bar slut. It was usually all she could do to keep herself from getting in his way. But she wouldn't lower herself to that. She wouldn't be desperate. Sam was so wonderful, he was always there for her. Her own knight in shining armor. _And he cares about me._ She swallowed. She'd never intended to feel like this. "Never, not ever."

But that was a long time and Kelly knew that even she couldn't spend an eternity being lonely.

"Can't what?" Sam asked. His warm voice finding it's way into her ears as she looked up. There was a pile of books in his arms, the top one's cover brushing the bridge of his nose. He'd obviously pulled them down off of Isaac and Tamara's bookshelves, ready to get into research mode.

Kelly smiled at him. "Nothing."

"Right." Sam said. "I'll put that down as secret number fifty three." He frowned at her as the books quivered unsteadily in his arms. "Anymore and I'm putting you in the penalty box."

"Funny." Kelly responded. Seeing the stack wavering as Sam walked forwards, she hurried to him and took some of the books out of his arms. "You're a funny guy."

"I'm serious about it, Kelly." Sam responded as she fell into step beside him. They left the living room and the sleeping Dean, moving towards a dusty kitchen. There was a coffee pot next to a sink overflowing with dirty dishes and scummy ceramic. "You need to start telling me these things."

"Or you'll what?" She asked.

"I'll take away the Frisbee."

She glanced at him, her face the perfect image of shock. It was as if he'd just committed a sin more egregious than the seven deadly. "You wouldn't." She said. Putting down the volumes on the dusty table, she stared at him with eyes round as plates. Sam grinned, knowing he'd found her weakness.

"No Frisbee for you." He said.

Kelly sighed loudly as she plopped down into a chair and reached for the first tome, flipping it open, she began reading a few pages. Smiling, Sam took a seat across from her, watching as her eyebrows began to twitch in a frown. Her mouth moved silently as her lips pressed together, broke apart, and shifted back and forth. She looked up at him, then back down, then up again. "You don't mean it."

Sam resisted the urge to run to his duffle and fish out the Frisbee. Instead, he kept his eyes focused on the page he was reading, listening to her twitch and fidget in her seat. The author had recorded meeting a monster that spat mucus out of it's nose and mouth, which, when it made contact, would create a series of large, pussy boils across the infected area. It didn't take much to realize that Kelly was being far more entertaining. Several more minutes passed by.

"Sam," her breathy voice caught in his ears and he looked up. "You wouldn't really take away my Frisbee privileges… would you?"

"Try me." He said, unable to keep the grin off his face.

The one thing neither saw was the old woman with one eye peering in through the window, a toothy grin stretching across her craggy face. Her bulbous nose pressed up against the glass. "And so it all begins." She cackled. Then, the old woman turned away and went to the trunk, where she opened the Impala's trunk began methodically counting the bullets within it. Ignoring with a careless wave the magical enchantments protecting the stash. She did not leave until she was done and when she did, Kelly and Sam were still busily arguing over their books.

The rest of the morning continued on like this and in the end, with her Frisbee games hanging in the balance, Kelly told Sam all about Dean and her worries. She told him more about Old Man and finally, she told him what she thought of the case. Still, she kept her memories of Azazel to herself. In the end, they continued working without breakfast until everyone else woke and the day truly began.

AN: A large chapter, I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to work on this. I have so many projects going on. Some of you may have even read the DTRH version of What Is and What Should Never Be, several people have requested that I write it and I figured why not. It fits in between Down the Rabbit Hole and Grim Fate, and it's a happier story.

Anyway, thank you for reading and I'm sorry that it's taking so long to get through the Magnificent Seven. Still, I hope it's interesting and that you're learning new things.

Remember feedback = love.


	10. Chapter 9: The Price of Love

Chapter Nine: The Price of Love

The gang caught their first lucky break at twelve o'clock pm, when Bobby learned of a murder in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. A young blonde woman had killed a twenty something brunette outside of Harley's Designer Clothes for Less, by bashing her head into the window of a 2007 Ford Explorer. It wasn't the murder itself that made the case strange, it was the fact that one girl had killed the other at seven o'clock in the morning on a street filled with witnesses. But what had caught Bobby's attention was that she'd killed for a pair of green high-heeled shoes. That was the strange part.

Currently, Bobby had dragged Erin off with him, leaving the boys and Kelly to investigate the scene of the crime.

Outside of Harley's Designer Clothes for Less, Sam Winchester and Kelly Jones were moving silently through the thick crowds. Their eyes examining the blood soaked scene, the broken car window and the detectives from the Lincoln PD gathering up evidence as they tried to suss out what really happened. Sam's eyes swept over the car, the detectives, and the blood, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Silently, he turned to his partner.

She was standing beside him, her hands hidden deep in the pockets of her leather duster. Kelly was sniffing the air thoughtfully, her gaze going from the blood to the officers and then back to the broken window. The thick smell of iron hung in the air, but it was mixed into the foot traffic. The thousand different kinds of chemicals, nicotine, menthol, perfume scented by lilacs, roses, honey, vanilla mixed in with personal body odors and the scents of cotton and leather. Each person had their own unique scent and the more there were the harder it became to filter them out. But she had gotten rather good at tracking and it was growing easier to center in on the smell she wanted. Still, all she could smell was the blood and it only belonged to one person. Despite the obviousness of the struggle, the perpetrator hadn't bled. She glanced up at Sam.

"Find something?" He asked. His voice low and he glanced around at the crowd before looking at her.

"Yeah." She said. "You smell nice today." There was a wicked gleam in her eyes as she leaned over and sniffed his arm. "Did you change your deodorant?"

Sam repressed a flush. He both liked and hated it when she teased him. "Couldn't find mine this morning." He muttered. "So, I borrowed Dean's."

"Old Spice." Kelly nodded. "A classic choice." She glanced up at him again, a warm smile coloring her lips. "Suits you."

Sam looked away. "Find anything?" He asked. "Anything else, I mean?" This time he really did flush. He just hoped that she couldn't see it.

"Besides the fact that my life would suck without you?" Kelly asked. "No."

With her free hand, she poked Sam in the ribs, and despite the grim scene before them, found that she was smiling. Sometimes, teasing him was way too easy. _He needs to get a tougher shell._ But at the same time, ease at which she could make him flush was adorable. _And joking like this, it's easy to forget about Dean and his deal._ And the little time they had left to save him. _Then it'll just be us._ With no buffer in between. She dreaded that day, afraid of what might happen and what she might feel.

"Really?" Sam asked. "Nothing?"

"Seriously!" Kelly threw up her hands. "Not a single thing!" That was code for there having been no interference by a demon. One girl had just killed another over a pair of shoes, and strange as that was, she couldn't find any evidence. There was no sulfur lingering in the air, not even a trace scent mixed with the blood. _Maybe Erin will turn up more when she talks to the girl's corpse._ If her spirit hadn't already moved on. Kelly was certain that was the reason why Bobby had taken the inexperienced Erin with him.

_Because honestly, she's not useful for much else._ Not yet, anyway. And Kelly had little confidence in her ability to train the younger fey. _Less that she has any desire to be taught._ Erin seemed to fluctuate between hot and cold, sometimes she was like an adorable little sister, the rest of it made Kelly want to shoot her in the head and dump her body somewhere inhospitable.

Kelly sent Sam another hard glare and then turned heel, heading inside. They weren't going to find anything useful out here. _Maybe inside'll get us different results._ Kelly hoped so. She had a feeling that this was linked to that strange murder in the farmhouse. But that was only her gut and she had no hard evidence. _There wasn't a trail of sulfur from there either._ Which was troubling. Hearing Dean's voice over the swishing of electronic doors, Kelly looked up.

"I know what happened outside makes you realize how fragile life really is."

Dean was standing in the middle of the store, his hand on the shoulder of a pretty girl with curling blonde hair cascading down past her shoulders. Her curls hung loosely around her face, framing her high cheekbones and sharp nose. Dean was staring into her eyes with an earnest expression. It was the kind that made Kelly snort as she glanced back over her shoulder at Sam.

"Is it just me?" She asked. "Or is he going for cheesier lines?" This time it was easy to swallow her jealousy. Mostly because the lines he was using should have been tossed into the dumpster along with Dean's manual titled _220 Easy Pick Up Lines, the Perfect Way to Score!_ He denied ever having possessed it, of course. But Kelly knew it had existed, after all, she'd been the one to throw it out.

"You gotta make every second count."

Sam winced. "The cheesiest." He agreed and together they shared a quick smile. "It's more of a make your life memorable and spend the evening with me." Sam shook his head, his mouth curved in an imitation of Dean's smirk as he gazed down at Kelly. "I promise it'll be the time of your life." Then, to complete the impression, Sam gave her a slow and exaggerated wink.

Kelly pretended to swoon. "Oh, Dean, take me in those big manly man arms and make my life worth living!" She cast her arm across her forehead and stared down at the ground. Sam just looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She broke the pose and glanced up at him. "What?" She asked. Sam just shook his head. "What?"

He started walking away. _We both know that's only half a joke._ Sam thought. He suppressed his irritation and glanced back at his brother.

"Oh come on, Sam." Kelly groaned as she followed him. "It was just a joke!"

_Sure, sure._ Sam wasn't about to start an argument here about whether or not she still had feeling for his brother. _The whole universe knows she does._ But this wasn't the time or place. _And it's not like I should care. I'm not jealous._ Of course he wasn't jealous that she only seemed to have eyes for Dean. _Despite the fact that she kissed my cheek this morning._ That had been a friend thing, something for her to show her affection towards him as a partner. _And any flirting she does is to tease me._ Maybe even to tease Dean. _He's jealous enough as it is._ But what Sam didn't get was the why of the equation. _Dean obviously wants to be with Kelly and pretends to hide it, but gets testy when any guy starts sniffing around. Kelly pretends she doesn't want to be with Dean, but really wants to and gets jealous when he sleeps around or even flirts._ So, why wouldn't his brother just apologize and get everything back on track. _Instead they're both torturing me!_ Kelly by being her wonderful and irritating self, Dean by being a stubborn asshole. Sam blinked. He needed to get his mind back on the job.

The blonde was beginning to nod thoughtfully, staring at Dean with wide doe-like eyes. _Better break this up before he goes in for the kill._ Walking forward with Kelly in tow, Sam walked up to his brother and cleared his throat. Saying nothing, he flashed a quick smile at the blonde and felt Kelly's irritation in the back of his mind.

Dean could practically feel his ex-girlfriend's eyes boring into the side of his head. Ignoring her, he smiled nonchalantly, realizing that fun-time was at an end. Flicking his head to the side, he shifted from foot to foot. "Excuse me for a moment, would you?" He asked, hoping that she would stay. He hated letting her leave, knowing that he might miss his chance to do something other than boring research. Still, after a glance at his brother and Kelly, she turned around a walked off. Dean heard his brother sigh. Sam was obviously irritated with him.

"She was nice." Kelly said. Her voice lilting a little as she watched the blonde saunter off. "I'll give her a seven, no, maybe an eight for being all Midwestern with a side of warm apple pie." She glanced back at him, a wicked grin on her lips, exposing her shiny white teeth. "Judges score? Two thumbs way, way up."

Dean didn't like the way his brother glanced at her, or the way he grinned. "And what's his percentile for 'hittin't it'?"

"How about Sammy plus slang equals a bad combination?" Dean asked.

"Oh," Kelly sighed dramatically, her hands still shoved in her pockets. "The Judges gave him a two point oh for that one." She shook her head sadly. "The combination of not enough time references, combined with the overall cheese factor and obvious scoring attempt label this as one for the record books." She pursed her lips in a mocking smirk. "By massive failure." Kelly tilted her head. "As in, Do Not Reattempt."

"Got it." Dean grumbled. "Though I kinda recall someone falling hard for those lines." He fixed her with a meaningful stare.

"Guess I'm lucky the relationship never got off the ground." Kelly smiled back. "But I'm with you on the 'No, Sam can't have Slang' rule." She glanced up at the taller brown haired brother. "Makes you sound like a nerd."

Sam rolled his eyes and cleared his throat again. Keeping these two on topic was like herding a group of cats. They never seemed to go in the direction you wanted. _And it's a headache to make them try._ "Dean," he sighed, letting his disappointment filter into his voice "What are you doing?"

Dean shrugged and glanced around. "I'm comforting the bereaved!" _She's going to make a snide comment! I know it, I just know it!_ He nearly flinched as she patted him comfortingly on the arm.

"That's very thoughtful and sweet of you, Dean." She said. "I'm proud of you."

He blinked. She sounded sincere. Maybe she wasn't going to snipe him after all. "Really?" He asked.

"Yeah." He watched her smile turn wicked.

_And here it comes._

"I never knew you were so good at multitasking. I mean, its one thing to comfort." She nodded. "But it's another to sound sincere while trying to score a piece of ass." She grinned at him, crossing her arms over her chest, her black jacket swirling around her legs. "You must be one hell of a con artist."

Sam shifted uncomfortably as he bounced on his feet. _Is it just me? Or is it getting hot in here?_ He resisted the urge to tug at his collar. "Yeah," he muttered. "One for the ages."

"Sammy," Dean said in a patient voice. "You don't urge a cat to continue swiping with its claws." He cast Kelly another annoyed glance before looking back at his brother. "You encourage it to put them away!" He glanced from Kelly to Sam in irritation. "Anyway, to get back on topic." Again, he gave Kelly the stink eye and watched her giggle. He really needed to work harder on that attack. "What are you doin'?"

"Workin'." Sam replied. He stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"I get that." Dean said. He peered past his brother at Kelly. "But what's she doin'?"

"Making a strong moral commitment to society." Kelly said.

_Herd of cats!_ Sam was on the verge of throwing up his hands and leaving them to go at it. _The worst would be if Bobby brought Erin back and she wanted to know what a clothing rack was, how it was made, and why people couldn't just pop on whatever they wanted._ The fey girl didn't smell and she'd been wearing the same outfit for three days. _To be fair, she doesn't have the money to buy clothes._ But that didn't make it any less irritating. _Especially the fact that she doesn't smell like…_ He paused, wanting to groan. _ANYTHING!_ He was brought back to earth by Kelly's fingers on his arm.

"She was with me."

"Right." Dean grinned. It was sick with jealousy. "The inseparable duo, a regular old team up of Batman and Robin."

"Don't be an idiot, Dean." Kelly sighed. "I'm Batgirl."

Sam's voice rose as he talked over them. "We were researching a dead body, possible demon attack, that kind of stuff."

Dean coughed into his hand. "Sam, I'm sorry." He said. "It's just that y'know, I don't have much time left and…" He coughed again, this time openly towards Sam's shoes. It was a big heavy cough, but it was dry and obviously fake. "Since I'm not getting laid anymore in a standard engagement…"

"Which, let's be honest," Kelly said. "Is your own damn fault."

Dean glanced at her in irritation. Did she always have to step on his toes? He loved her for it. _Just not when she's doing it to me!_ "Means I gotta make every second count."

Sam glanced down at Kelly and she shrugged. Finally, he said in a low voice. "Yeah, man, I know, I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted!" Dean said with a wide grin. At that moment Bobby moved up behind them. In their squabbling they'd missed seeing him and Erin return. "Whoa!" Dean said. Turning around to catch sight of Bobby fixing his tie, he whistled. "You look spiffy Bobby, what were you G-man?"

"Attorney for the DA's office." Bobby replied. "I just spoke to the suspect."

Erin appeared at Sam's elbow and glanced at Kelly with irritation. Why did she have to follow him wherever he went? The two were stuck together like glue. They'd been together when she'd woken up this morning, been paired off to look at the crime scene. "And I got sent down to the death house." She glanced up at him. "What is it you mortals call it?"

"The morgue." Kelly supplied helpfully.

Erin glared at her and spat. "I was asking the mortals."

"So, that rules Sam out right?" Kelly asked. She stopped as Sam pushed his large hand down over her head.

"Don't start." He said in a low voice. Then, he mussed her hair.

Dean sighed in irritation. "She's not five, Sam." He was glaring at the two of them, his arms almost crossed over his chest. Erin gave him a curious glance and seeing her stare, he smiled widely as if he was trying to hide something.

_Humans are strange._ She watched Kelly push Sam's hand away, an odd feeling buzzing at the pit of her stomach. She didn't know what to make of it. It was strange as her eyes fixed on Kelly's annoyed expression and the way she was trying to hide a grin. It was like everything had suddenly melted away and Erin was left standing there. It was like staring in through a foggy window, like she was looking at something she couldn't have.

"Sam knows how much I like a good head scratch." Kelly said. She leaned against the taller Winchester like a dog whose tail was wagging. "Scratch my head again, Sam."

Bobby cleared his throat. "If you children would be kind enough to stay on topic."

"Sorry." Kelly murmured.

"Sorry." Dean and Sam chorused. Dean looked over and noticed that his brother was indeed scratching Kelly's head again. He swallowed his jealousy. They needed to get back on the topic at hand. _Demons, death, mayhem._ There would be time for girls later. _And jabbing Kelly in the side with a pointed stick._ He was looking forward to that. _Trade irritation for irritation._

"Like I was saying." Bobby said. "I spoke to the suspect."

"I waited in the car." Erin added.

"And I'm sure you waited like a pro." Dean said. Sarcasm filled his voice, but to his surprise Erin didn't seem to notice. _Or maybe she just doesn't care._ But he gave her a thumbs up anyway.

"So," Sam whistled. "What do you think Bobby was she possessed or what?"

"I don't think so." Bobby shook his head. "There's none of the usual signs, no blackouts, no loss of control, totally lucid, she just really wanted those shoes."

"What we found confers with that." Kelly said. She glanced up at Sam again. "No traces of sulfur in the area around the murder or in the bloodstream." She looked over at Bobby. "Though only the deceased bled out, I have no idea about the murderer."

"Well, I spilled a glass of holy water on her, just to be safe." Bobby said with a shake of his head. "Nothin'."

"Well," Dean said. His head turning as he checked out the blonde again. She gave him a whimsical smile as she passed. He nodded as Kelly rolled her eyes. "Maybe she was just some random whack-job."

Again, Bobby shook his head. "If it'd been an isolated incident maybe." He said. "But first the family? Now this?" Bobby shrugged. "I believe in a lot of things, but coincidence ain't one of 'em." He glanced around the group. "Did you boys…" Kelly cleared her throat. "And girl." He smiled. "You guys find anything around here?"

"No." Sam said. "Like Kelly said, no sulfur, nothin'."

"I didn't turn up anything at this morgue." Erin added. "The woman just kept shouting about how the bitch was trying to steal her shoes. Wouldn't tell me anything useful." She glanced around as everyone's gazes returned to her. "The dead can be very incoherent." She added as if that was some kind of explanation.

"Ah," Dean coughed. "Yeah, well, maybe there is somethin'." He looked from one face to the next and then up at the camera at hanging up above the front of the store. His gaze stopped on Kelly's face and he grinned. "Can't believe those sharp doggy senses missed that." He tsk-tsked in the back of his throat as he shook his head at her. "Very disappointing."

Kelly smiled, her expression irritated. "Bite me."

Dean chuckled, imagining the responses he'd have if his deal wasn't weighing down on his shoulders. _I'd take her up on that._ He thought suppressing a grin. He glanced at his brother. A knowing nod colored his movements as he smirked and tapped his brow. "See." He said. "I'm workin'!"

A talk with the manager found Dean, Sam, and Bobby searching through video footage, while Kelly and Erin waited outside on the street. Erin watched as Kelly took a seat on the sidewalk, her booted toes tapping on the asphalt. Her arms over her legs as she watched the cars pass by. Patiently waiting for the boys to be done with their work.

Confused, Erin followed her example and took a seat between the parked cars. She looked out at the moving vehicles and shivered. Iron was the most dangerous to a fey, but for one of her weaker cousins anything technological could be considered a death sentence. _And she sits here, easy as you please, not concerned at all._ Erin knew the bond with Sam Winchester stabilized her. _But one would think that she'd show some minor concern or strain._ Maybe it was another sign of banality setting in. She glanced at Kelly, irritated as she watched the Hound's golden eyes scanning the passing bystanders.

"Why are we not inside?" She asked. "Why are we not looking at this…" She paused, her nose wrinkling in distaste. It seemed odd that humans would record their daily movements. It seemed foolish. "Film?"

"Because," Kelly replied. "The boys were passing as cops and Bobby was the district attorney." She swallowed a sigh at the confusion littered across Erin's pretty Chinese features. It was like she was speaking a foreign language. "They were pretending to be authority figures to get access to documentation that's restricted from the general public." There, maybe she would understand that.

"It was clear that they were breaking some sort of law, yes." Erin nodded. "But that doesn't explain why we didn't go with them."

"Too many authority figures at once would have been suspicious." Kelly replied. Her eyes didn't return to Erin's face, instead, she pointedly focused on the loitering blonde on the other side of the street. She was tall with straight, straw colored hair.

"So, why did you not go with them?" Erin asked. "I am not a foundling, I do not need an escort."

"Same deal." Kelly said.

"You did not want to fight with Dean again." Erin accused. She was staring at the side of Kelly's face, ignoring all social constricts, curiosity overtaking her. _Why did Sam not stay? Why you?_ Her mind asked. The last thing she wanted was to spend any more time with Kelly. "You treat him strangely."

"No, I don't." Kelly said. Her chin resting on the palm of her hand as she propped her elbow up on her knees, looking anywhere but at Erin. She didn't want her failed relationship with Dean to become a topic of conversation.

"Yes." Erin repeated. "You do. The way you look at him and Sam." She tilted her head to the side. "You treat them differently from other men. You watch them with strange eyes, more than sorrowful and more than happy. It is an odd thing."

"You wouldn't understand." Kelly said. She was watching the blonde move up the street, there was something about her that was off, ungainly. _Interesting._ "You're still new."

Erin let out a peal of laughter. It rang through the air like silver bells as she covered her mouth with her hand, leaning closer to Kelly with a wide grin. "I am that." She agreed. "But are you saying that you chose to stay with me because you love them?"

"I chose to stay with you," Kelly replied tersely. "Because I was the one least likely to put a bullet through the slope of your skull."

Erin paused, her eyes scanning Kelly's face, disbelief coursing over her expression. "No." She shook her head. "No, it cannot be."

"What?" Kelly growled. She was beginning to regret not bringing her gun.

"It's impossible!" Erin snapped. "You cannot possibly love them!"

Kelly glanced at her for a moment, her eyes sad. She blinked and looked away, feeling her tears close to the surface again. Her hands balled into a fist, her fingernails cutting into the flesh of her palm, biting down hard. She could feel Erin's eyes on her again. This time she knew there would be pity there. Knew that the younger fey would not understand. "I know."

"We are immortal." Erin said. "We cannot know regret, just as we cannot know love. Those things are forbidden to our kind, only knowable once we allow ourselves to become infected by order and insanity." She put out her hand and let it rest on Kelly's shoulder, but the Hound merely shrugged it away.

"We do not know love because it is meaningless for us." Kelly said. "Not because it is forbidden. Regret is an emotion we experience with loss and love only becomes important when our life spans are brief enough for us to appreciate it." She looked down at her hands. "When it is something we can lose."

"I have lost." Erin said. Her voice was indignant as she stared at Kelly. "But I do not regret."

"No." Kelly shook her head. "That's because you and I both know that for us death is not permanent. Those of us who die are not gone forever, Erin. Our fallen brethern will eventually gather themselves together and return to us." She swallowed. "You know as well as I that we continue to exist, even after death." She focused on the asphalt, holding back her tears. "And while it is a sad day when one of our kind dies, we do not mourn their loss. Not the way mortals do. Just as we cannot be revived by magic because we are not truly dead." She looked over at the younger fey. "You and I both know that one day you'll see your mother again, just as I will never see mine."

There was a silent moment as Erin considered what Kelly had said. A small part of her wondering if she had, in fact, misjudged the Hound. Kelly seemed to know more about her people than she'd let on. Something Erin would have to think on harder before she allowed herself to probe the Hound more deeply. Instead, she replied. "You fell once."

"And that is why I can love." Kelly replied. Her soft voice was tired and worn as she closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against her knees. "I have been mortal and I part of me still is."

"Your brothers would help you if you went home." Erin said. "They would treat you."

Kelly simply shook her head. Erin still didn't understand. _But can I truly expect her too?_ No. She was fey. "No." She said. "Not all the treatment in the world can save me from what I am." She glanced at the younger and more beautiful fey. She watched the way Erin dismissed the glances of those around her. She was ethereal and did not know it, or perhaps she knew and ignored it. Beauty was something the others took for granted, the same with their immortality. Kelly knew that once she had been this cold and cruel and understood that she could never be the same again. "Not even the strongest of magic could reverse what has been done." She sighed. "And because of that, Erin, I can never go home again."

"Perhaps, you could try." Erin ventured.

Kelly looked up at the sky. "No." She said. "This is my punishment." She glanced at Erin, and for the first time the other fey caught a glimpse of the true sorrow that lay in the depths of those dark brown-gold eyes. It made her throat tighten and her stomach knot with fear. "For now and always."

"You cannot go home." Erin murmured. She looked away at Kelly, frightened that if she stared at her longer the stain of the Hounds disgrace would drip on her. "What did you do?" She asked finally. Her dark liquid eyes turned to Kelly's face as she examined the other woman. "What was worth this?"

Kelly smiled at her wistfully and leaned over her knees. "I don't know." She replied. "I can't remember."

AN: Shorter than the last one and got a bit philosophical at the end, I apologize for that. The Kelly/Erin conversation about love was inspired by the Last Unicorn, with Erin being the Unicorn before she becomes human and Kelly being the end result. It just seemed like something that was appropriate for the Fey and brings up an important question: What did Kelly do to get herself exiled?

I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Remember, feedback=love!


	11. Chapter 10: The Baba Yaga

**Chapter Ten: The Baba Yaga  
**

**Lincoln, Nebraska**

Sam, Bobby, and Dean were all sitting around a computer screen, examining the footage. Dean was pacing back and forth as Sam shifted through the sequences. His mind was on the job, but also on the girls that they had sent outside. It worried him that Kelly hadn't put up much of a fight. _She was actually pretty docile when we said she couldn't come._ And she'd mentioned something, almost half-heartedly, about bonding time with Erin. _Bonding? Those two don't need to do any bonding!_ Dean would eat his own bullets before he let Kelly turn into something like Erin. _Or Erin turn into something like Kelly._ He always got the feeling that the young Asian fey disdained him. But he could never really comprehend why. _Always interested in Sammy though._ That was disturbing. _Why are these fuckin' fey always interested in my little brother?_ It was a question he'd yet to answer. _God, I hope Erin and Kelly don't get into a wrestling match._

Erin was an enticingly ethereal beauty where Kelly was merely pretty. Still, he'd pay anything to see those two throw down. _Necromancer versus Black Dog, round one!_ He bit his lip, trying to focus his mind back to the problem at hand, to keep himself from rushing to the window and checking to see if the two twenty-something's had started exchanging blows. _At least they look twenty._ Dean knew that Kelly was twenty one, bordering on twenty two. _Even if there's been evidence to suggest that she's actually older than that._

"Anything interesting?" Dean asked. His voice came out rushed as he tried to distract himself from pondering the obvious.

"I don't know yet." Sam replied. He was watching a man approaching the young blonde murderer as she was checking out a rack of shirts. They were labeled as fifty percent off. Still, nothing seemed completely out of the ordinary. He hit the rewind button again. "Could just be a guy." Sam said. His chin pressed against his fist, he stared at the screen. "Or it could be our guy."

Seeing the tall, balding man touching a woman on screen, Sam rewound the video again, staring at it with blurry eyes. He was trying to distract himself from the tightly wound ball in the back of his head. It was all that he could do to keep from lunging outside to find out what was the matter. Sam didn't like being away from Kelly for too long and he hadn't been jazzed about leaving her to look after Erin. _Even if there weren't really any other options._ He rubbed his eyes. Watching the man stop to talk to the woman, touching her shoulder, his eyes on the brunette checking out the shoes. A sinister expression on his face as he stared down at her, it was clear as day what he intended.

"That's our guy!" Dean crowed. Slapping Sammy on the back, congratulating him on his good work, Dean glanced down at his brother and realized that his brother wasn't staring at the face on the screen. He was gazing out the window, his face pale. "Sammy?" Dean asked. "Sammy, what's wrong?"

"Kelly." Was all Sam said. He'd already shoved the chair back and was on his feet, heading out the door. His pace not quite a run but it was certainly faster than a walk and he'd disappeared out the door before Dean had a chance to ask him what was wrong.

"Sammy?" Dean asked. _He said Kelly._ Dean's heart froze. _That means there's something wrong with Kelly!_ He glanced at Bobby, his eyes wide, wanting to chase after Sam.

"I'll be okay here, son." Bobby said. The older man's face was pale beneath his red tinged beard, his expression told Dean the same thing. That he wanted to follow Sam too. "You go see what's wrong."

Dean nodded. "Thanks, Bobby." He said. Turning to go, the old hunter's extra instruction hit his ears.

"I'll meet you after I've printed out a proper photo."

Again, Dean nodded and continued forward, chasing his brother out of the office, down the stairs and out the front door. _Kelly!_ His brother was tied to her, if he felt that something was wrong, then something was definitely wrong. _What happened with Erin?_ Had the Necromancer hurt her in some way? Had she said something? Right now, Dean wished that he were inside Sam's head. He wished he could feel what Kelly was feeling and know what she was going through. Know what had spooked Sammy so badly.

Dean's feet hit the ground as he caught up with his brother, nearing a dead run. "Sammy!" He yelled, catching his brother's shoulder just before he exited the building. "What's going on?" He asked. "What's wrong?" _What's happened to Kelly?_

But Sam didn't respond. Instead, he jerked free from his brother's hold. His eyes ahead of them, on the girl still seated on the sidewalk and he frowned. Ebony hair coursed freely down her back, long and wavy. She was staring straight ahead, not even bothering to turn around. _Where is she?_ Sam thought. His mind desperate, a moment before it had been like Kelly was screaming in his mind.

Everything she kept under tight control let loose, Sam had felt the burns around his throat and his wrists. He'd known then that they still hurt. _Daily reminders._ It had been as if every barrier between them had been removed and then all Sam had known was pain. It nearly knocked him sideways, made him forget about the murder, about the demons, about everything. Everything but her. _God! How does she stand it?_ He wondered as he strode across the pavement.

Seizing Erin by her shoulders, Sam whirled her around to face him. "Where is she?" He bellowed. Shaking her vigorously as his voice echoed past the passersby. Some glanced at him shocked, others looked worried, but he ignored them. Only one thing mattered now. _Is she lying bleeding somewhere? Crying her eyes out? I should be with her!_ He was her partner, he belonged at her side. _I don't want any secrets between us._ Not now and not ever. He shook Erin again. "Where is she?"

"Sammy."

He heard Dean's voice from behind him. Felt, his brother's hand on his shoulder. But Sam was numb inside, his gut had turned to ice, and the only thing he could think was that Kelly wasn't there. _Kelly!_

"You are hurting me." Erin said. Her voice was cool as she stared up at him with cold dark eyes. "And you are making a fool of yourself."

"I don't care!" He snarled. It was strange. He was usually the restrained one. It was Dean who flew off the handle, who had to be restrained. But the thought of Kelly being alone, left beneath the crushing weight of her emotions and whatever else had taken her. _She wouldn't just leave!_ "Tell me what happened! Tell me where she is!"

"I do not know." Erin replied. "But she is not in any danger." She added hurriedly, looking up at him. "I assume you are feeling a side effect of our conversation?" She didn't wait for his reply and nodded. Her hand lifted up to pat his cheek. "Do not worry, that too will pass, she will regain herself momentarily."

"What did you do?" Sam hissed. He hadn't released her yet, he hated this, he hated feeling so helpless, so out of control. _But I have to protect her. It's my job to protect her._

"I did nothing." Erin replied. Her voice was the same chilled tone and she glanced down at his fingers irritably. "We merely talked."

"Talking wouldn't have made her, it wouldn't have made her feel that way." Sam snapped.

"You do not know the topic of our discussion, Sam Winchester." Erin said. "If you do not know what was said, how can you judge how it would have affected her?" She lifted a curious eyebrow. It was a slow steady movement, almost robotic, like a babe practicing the motion for the first time. Her mouth was a thin line as she stared up at him.

"Sam." Dean began. He didn't know what was going on, but he was sure of two things. _Sammy's going ballistic and whatever happened Erin knows what set it off._ Much as he wanted to tell his brother to squeeze the bitch until her head exploded, he knew that wouldn't be prudent for getting the information they needed. When his brother didn't respond, Dean tried again, this time more sharply. "Sam!"

"What?" Sam growled.

_Dear god, Sammy's supposed to be the sweet and cuddly one._ It was rare for Dean to see his brother explode. But he had and now it would be Dean's job to talk him back down. _While the demon gets further away._ Dean swallowed. _Kelly._ Had the other fey come to take her away? He shook his head, memory of the dream floating to the forefront of his mind and the green woman. _She said I'd be back._ He suppressed a shiver, wondering what that meant.

"Let her go." Dean said. "Put her down. Whatever." He sighed loudly, unable to believe that he was saying this. He certainly wasn't Erin's biggest fan. _Not since she called me Sam._ That still rankled his mind. Innocent as she seemed, he'd never trusted her. Never agreed that they should have brought her along. _But she's here now._ And she was the only one who'd been with Kelly when she disappeared. "Just do it, Sammy!"

"Fine." Sam grumbled. He glanced back at his brother as he set Erin back down on the ground. "But one way or another I'm getting answers." It felt like his bones had been covered in molten metal, every fiber and nerve in his body was on fire. His heart ached beneath the crushing weight of guilt, terror, and fear. What was making Kelly so afraid? "But one way or another, I'm getting answers, Dean."

"We will." _But threatin' her is probably not the way to go._

Erin sighed. She was deeply irritated. Humans were so intrusive, so hurried, so demanding. She didn't understand why Sam was so upset. It wasn't as if Kelly Jones had gone very far. Not at all. She'd merely required some alone time to sort out her feelings and her memories. Much as Erin disliked the Hound, she was in complete agreement that Kelly deserved to have that time. She would not have these two fools marching in and ruining her private reflections. Kelly had answers to questions that Erin herself wanted to ask.

_And why should they speak to her first?_ She understood that they had known her longer, that Sam Winchester was bound to Kelly Jones. _And if his reaction is any indication, then she must be suffering a great deal._ That was not really a surprise given her situation.

"Tell us what happened, Erin." Dean said. His voice hoarse in his own ears, he was sure now that Kelly hadn't been kidnapped, hadn't been harmed. _But how can we trust that? Because Erin is still here?_ Erin could be involved in the whole conspiracy. She wasn't trustworthy. She may have even decided that the only way to get closer to Sam was to get rid of the competition. But, no, that wasn't right. _If she was dead, Sam would know._

"I thought I said." Erin replied. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she lifted her chin, her mouth pressed in a thin line, her lips nearly becoming one with the surrounding flesh as she stared up at Sam Winchester. "While you were inside studying your…" She paused, again testing the word on her tongue. "Your footage. You sent Kelly and I out here to wait. While waiting we spoke."

"About?" Sam asked. His jaw was clenched, muscles spasming in his cheek as he glared down at Erin.

The tiny Asian appeared nonplussed by the entire ordeal, her face smooth and creaseless as she gazed at them. "You are lucky I like you, Sam Winchester." Erin said after a moment. Tugging at the ends of her hair, she tilted her head to the side. "That I am bound by my word to do you no harm after I accepted your hospitality. Others would take too much enjoyment in playing with you, especially in this state." She tilted her head to the side and lifted her small hand to pat him on the cheek.

Angrily, he brushed her fingers away. He could feel the heat in his chest cooling. Kelly was somewhere, hurting, but still alive. _And probably licking her wounds_. "Are you playing with me?"

"Almost certainly." Erin said with an expedient nod.

"You're fuckin' lying to us?" Dean asked. He could barely keep the incredulity from his tone as he stared down at her. "Now? At a time like this?"

"I am what I am." Erin said. Her voice was soft and gentle, but still firm and unyielding. "You cannot ask me to be anything other than that."

"The hell is wrong with you?" Dean demanded. He took a step towards her. _What the hell? Why's she lying? Why's she playing with us? Because she can? Because nothing's wrong? Or because something is wrong and she's trying to delay us?_ Dean didn't know. But he knew that they couldn't shoot her. _Not in broad daylight, and she has the information we need._

"She's fey, Dean." Sam said in a hard voice. "But, at least she has the decency to tell us that she's lying. Right, Erin?"

"Exactly." Erin said with a smile.

"How will we know whether she's lying or not?" Dean asked. He glanced at his brother, unable to believe that Sam was willing to play along with this insanity. _Kelly never pulled these kinds of stunts!_ He thought irritably. His fingers were getting itchy. He needed to do something. Now. _At least Sam's calmed down._ That was an encouraging step in the right direction.

"I suppose you will just have to guess." Erin said.

Her beautiful face broke apart into a wide grin. She was enjoying this. She liked watching the brothers squirm. It was part of her nature, one that she couldn't help. Erin didn't feel bad about seeing them all worked up. She had her own things to say about Kelly and her condition, and she wanted to do it without Sam being ready to leap off a bridge. There were things she knew the brothers needed to understand, things that would do no good if they remained secret. _But that does not mean I won't put them through their paces to get there._ No one ever gave nothing for free, and Erin was well aware that everything had a price. Hers was her own amusement, when she was satisfied with their performance she would tell them everything they needed to know. After all, she was not Unseelie or a trickster like Puck. She kept her word.

"Or, why don't you just tell us?" Dean's voice was harsh in his ears as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No." Erin said. Her tone curt as she tossed her head and, knowing that Dean was less likely to play the game, she turned to Sam, raising her chin challengingly. Would he play the game?

"Will you say what you talked about?" Sam asked. Erin smiled brightly and opened her mouth, but Sam held up a single hand. "What you spoke of with Kelly?"

Erin pouted. She would much rather be playing this game with Dean, he seemed incapable of speaking in specifics. That meant she could keep the game going for hours. _And give Kelly the time she needs to compose herself._ Not that Erin liked the Hound, oh, no. This was just a favor from fey to fey. They had to tolerate each other. _Before I steal Sam out from under her nose._ The only hitch was that Erin was growing less and less confident on how she would accomplish that goal. _How can I convince him without love?_ Was that particular emotion a true staple of the human diet? Was it possible that they could live without it? Would a man want to?

She sighed. "We talked of love." Erin replied. Her voice was cool as she spoke, tilting her head to the side and lifting her chin as if challenging them to make fun of her. "And regret." She nearly dropped her gaze to her shoes as she remembered what Kelly had said. _"This is my punishment."_ The words rang through her mind, haunting her. She had seen many cruelties done in the Court of Annwn, both in tricks played on the occasional mortal and more usually on each other. She glanced up at both of them and then added thoughtfully. "What it means to regret."

***

A few miles from where Erin was taunting the boys, Kelly Jones was sitting on the bench of a small park. Her head in her hands, she found herself trying to regain her balance. The talk with Erin about love and regret had shaken some things loose in her mind, painful memories. Of a time from before she was human.

She didn't care to look at the bright, blue sky overhead or listen to the birds singing in the rushes and up in the branches of the trees. She was sitting on a curving, gravel-marked path that was overlooking a tiny creek bed. It's flow having been reduced to a small trickle by the oncoming autumn. The bed itself was made up of brown dirt, dark thick mud beneath the trickle of water, and large round stones that shone in the harsh afternoon light. The park was empty and Kelly Jones was glad that she was alone.

Every time she reached for the memories, her mind was slashed by bright blazing heat. Pain recoiled through her nerves, agony shrieked against her bones, and she heard a voice screaming in despair. _It's all my fault!_ It cried. _It's all my fault!_ The voice was hers, but she didn't recognize it. She could feel vaguely what she was howling over and it was nothing she could put to words. It shook her insides to pieces and left her wondering about her punishment. Talking with Erin had made her remember, had make her think more deeply about herself, about her circumstances, and about the Yellow-Eyed Demon. _I'm still being punished._ That was the truth. _I can love because I was human, because I know what it is to have too little time._ Then again, was that a gift or a curse?

Kelly ran her fingers through her hair and pushed back her bangs. Erin's talk of insanity had left her nervous. Insanity for a fey was different than it was for a mortal being. Mortals thrived on order and the less orderly their mind was the crazier they became. It was different for fey, they had been born of Chaos and that was their natural state. They found the concept of turning around and stabbing an unsuspecting ally in the throat to be a hilarious joke. Extra points could be claimed if one hit the spine accurately enough for the head to pop up and fly off. Same for shooting a friend in the back and the more elegantly one tricked a mortal into their demise, the better. And if they managed to hang themselves of their own accord? Well, then it was a party. Becoming infected meant that one became less chaotic, more orderly, and the longer the exposure, the greater chance of a death sentence. If a fey remained with it too long before they were killed, they eventually ceased to be fey at all. Instead, they became squishy people meat. Human.

Lifting her hand, Kelly peered through her fingers. _I can see why she'd be concerned._ On any surface level it probably did look as if she was suffering from the beginning stages of banality. That she was slowly becoming insane. "But that isn't what's going on." She muttered, her voice husky as she stared down at the creek bed.

No, that wasn't it. For her the transition to humanity had not been a slow process, it was a violent one. She'd been caught, tried, and stuffed inside the womb of an expecting mother, the woman who would become her mother. Kelly drew another thick breath, her brown-gold eyes scanning the flat grassy area of the park. At least, that woman would become only mother she'd ever remember. And now, she could barely even recall her face. _And when it suited them, they murdered me. A kindness they called it._ That's what her instinctive knowledge told her, the fey form of genetic memory. It was better to die a fey than live as a human. Mortality was the only punishment fit for the worst kind of criminals, the ones her people expelled completely from society. _But they never brought anyone back._ Not until now. _Why?_

There was a difference between what she knew and what she could remember. A difference so vast that Kelly knew she was only beginning to scratch the surface of who she had once been. The person she could never be again. That had been taken from her, just like her mortal life, and that was something she would have to live with.

The sunlight sparkled on the edges of her fingernails as she exhaled heavily, allowing the memories to slink back into the shadows. They would come again, complete with their pain. She feared what was there. Feared for what had been lost, but in the end, she was even more afraid of what had remained.

"Well, well," a voice cackled from behind her. "If it isn't a lone Hound and if the placing weren't already strange enough, the truth is that this one is deliciously far from home."

Kelly looked up to see an old woman hobbling up the gravel path. She was stooped almost to a right angle as she leaned heavily on her cane. She wore a large floppy hat that covered sparse and curling gray hairs atop her head, creating a long black shadow over her crinkled forehead as she made her way haltingly up a small incline towards where Kelly was sitting. Her thin and withered shoulders were covered by a gaily-embroidered Slavic style blouse with poofy sleeves that hung down to the sharp corners of her shrunken elbows. Dark blue veins popped out of the papery skin of her thighs and a red skirt hung down around her knobby knees. Her breasts sagged low on her chest as gnarling fingers clutched the curve of her cane and her hands were covered with age spots. A black eye-patch covered her left eye and it was partially hidden by the shadows of the hat's large circular brim.

Kelly swallowed, her nose immediately telling her that this was no ordinary old woman. For one thing, she did not smell aged. Instead, her scent consisted of glacier peaks and mountainous valleys, swamps, beef stroganoff, and vodka. Silently, she shifted to her feet. Noting the walnut hanging by a string around her vulture neck, Kelly tucked her hands behind her back. Her mind told her that she should know the woman, that she was very powerful, very important. It was the smell of a great and ancient troublemaker. But this being was not her kin, was not fey.

"Grandmother." She offered the old woman a polite bow, her hand pressed against her chest. "It is an honor to see you."

"Ha!" The old woman cackled. She spoke with a thick Russian accent. "A polite one, eh? Brave as well as stupid eh?" She waved her cane, causing the gravel to upset the dirt as puffs rose up around her sandaled feet. "Well, child, I will say that you would not be the first of your brethren to flee from the face of Baba Yaga!" She coughed violently into her right hand, phlegm spitting up between her yellowed teeth. Casually, she tossed it away.

"It…" Kelly began, keeping her voice careful. "It would be bad manners to turn my back on you grandmother."

"Bah, clever chicks are no fun." She leaned on her cane, surveying the face before her. "It's better to watch them flee before I strip the meat off their bones." She chuckled, tilting her head like a stork as she peered at Kelly with her one good eye. "They eat dogs in Russia, you know." The Baba Yaga said. "Even stringy ones like you would make for a fine soup."

"I am aware, Grandmother." Kelly said. But she did not move. _What is Baba Yaga doing here?_ Lincoln, Nebraska was far from her usual territory. "But I have nothing to trade." _And we're not in Russia!_

"Not even a spoon?" The Baba Yaga asked.

"I wouldn't wish to supply you utensils for your soup, Grandmother." Kelly replied. She kept her tone level. "Perhaps instead I could help you to the bench?"

"Ha! You're a funny, child, Kelly Jones. You wear a different face in these new days, but the same troublesome spirit lurks in those young eyes." She cackled. "Too interesting to eat."

"You know me, Grandmother?" Kelly asked. She was not eager to learn her origins from the Baba Yaga. Such things always came with a high price tag and the ancient spirit was a crafty dealer. More often than not the bargainer would come out on the worse end. _And end up locked in Baba Yaga's oven._ There was no sure way to kill her, the eye-patch she wore was a testament to one who had tried and failed. The Baba Yaga could not die so long as Russia lived.

"I promised once to make you my little black bird and hold you captive by a golden chain around your yellow birdie foot." The Baba Yaga said. "If you ever came within my grasp again."

"That must have been long ago, Grandmother." Kelly said as she walked forwards.

"Not so long." The Baba Yaga eyed her blearily. "Or have you yet to lose your concept of time, small one?" She cackled again, the bottom of her cane pounding against the gravel dirt. "I remember it as if it were yesterday, when you snatched that delectable little morsel from my stove." Her withered lips pressed into a thin line as she eyed the girl beadily. "You ripped apart my Hounds and scattered them flesh and bone to the four winds. A red mist covered Russia the year after and every child in every forty-third village was born with their left eye put out. Your doing."

"You're reach is long, Grandmother." Kelly said. She offered the old woman another bow. "I humbly apologize for the inconvenience I caused you."

"No matter," the Baba Yaga said. She waved a withered hand as she settled on the edge of the bench. "You received your just reward, a pity I was not there to hear you scream."

_Yes, Grandmother._ Kelly thought bitterly. _But you've yet to have your revenge._ Why had she come? Was it to say that all was well between them? To gloat? To enjoy Kelly's amnesiac state and torture her with things she could not remember? The Baba Yaga was known for her ability to hold a grudge and Kelly doubted that the required time limit had passed. _Well, it's good to learn that Russia is closed to me._ Before she went there.

"As you say, Grandmother." Kelly said. She remained standing, just beyond the Baba Yaga's clawed reach.

"There are many things I can forgive, little bird." The Baba Yaga said. "I squeeze forgiveness out with the milk in my nipples. I have given it to you, Keely of the C'wn Mamau." She indicated the wet spots on her shirt, a match set of marks on the tips of her sagging breasts. "You're past transgressions were forgiven in the events after your death and though I could not take your pelt for a cape, I have made peace with my inability to have you."

"How kind of you, Grandmother." Kelly murmured. "I am unworthy of your regard."

"So you are." The Baba Yaga replied in clipped tones. "But you are traveling with one who has bargained with me. I have yet to require a favor of him, but the time will come soon. Koshchei is getting restless." She leaned forwards, her hawk-like gaze centered on the young Hound's face. "Should I call upon him, you are not to interfere and if you fail to heed my warning, your punishment shall be his counted in threes and assure that his bones will be fed to my Chicken House after success or failure and his skull hung upon Yggdrasil's branches."

**AN:** Yeeees, the Baba Yaga. I suppose you were wondering when that pay off from the first book would happen. Well it's not now. This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I ran out of steam, I pulled an all nighter last night and I've just been spitting these things out. We'll finish this out the next chapter and get down to hunting the Seven Deadly Sins. I promise. But the Baba Yaga is just too much fun to not let her have her own story arc.

Remember, feedback = love.


	12. Chapter 11: Her Sins

Chapter Eleven: Her Sins

Sam's head shot up. He was done with Erin's games. He was going to find Kelly on his own. Sam could feel her at the back of his mind. A dark throbbing knot of pain and confusion that made his heart ache for her. She felt so lost and at the same time so cold. The question was: _Where's that feeling coming from?_ What direction? A part of Sam knew that if he followed the emotions, he would find her. It was like having his own invisible string leading back to his Hound. For a moment, Sam wondered if it was red. Then he shook his head.

"I understand." He said to Erin.

Looking away from his brother, he let his eyes swim up the street. She was somewhere in that direction and not too far away. Then, without a glance at either he strode off down the street. Ignoring the people crowding the sidewalk, Sam continued on. He didn't bother looking back.

Erin watched him go with mild dissatisfaction. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been cheated. Her eyes narrowed slightly as Dean moved to follow his brother. Her fingers catching on his sleeve, she tugged him to a halt. "No."

"I don't care about you stupid fey or your stupid questions or your stupid games!" Dean snarled. "My friend is in trouble and I'm going to make sure she's okay."

He tried to pull free of Erin's grasp, but found that she held him tight. Her hand moving to his bicep for a better grip, her fingers clenched around his arm like iron, and her dark almond eyes were on his face. "Stay."

Erin's lashes fluttered over her eyes and for a moment she looked intoxicating. For a moment Dean wanted to stay, to know what it was like to press his lips against hers, to feel that beautiful body pressed up against him, gyrating, hot and steamy. He stopped. "That ain't gonna work, missy." He said. "I know what you are." Dean glared down at her. "And I don't feel sorry for you."

"Yet, you fall into Kelly's traps all the time." Erin said. For a moment her full lips looked like they were pouting.

Dean doubted she even understood the expression, but he couldn't stop himself from getting chills. It was easy to forget sometimes that Erin wasn't a little kid. Her inexperience at dealing with humans coupled with her own youthful nature next to Kelly was an easy guise to hide the fey who lay underneath. He was going to have to be on his guard around her. That much was clear. He swallowed and looked away, considering her statement. The answer, of course, was obvious. _That's because it's Kelly and I'm in love with her._ He would fall into any trap Kelly set and do it gladly, if she was in fact setting traps. But the traps thing was probably just a part of Erin's games. _She wants to split us apart._ She didn't want them to trust Kelly. He could understand why, but he wasn't about to become anyone's pawn.

"That's because it's Kelly." Dean said. "And I trust her."

Erin laughed. "Well," she said. "I guess that's your mistake."

_No,_ Dean thought irritably. _The mistake would be trusting you._ Or trusting his brother to keep his hands off Dean's girl. _My ex-girl._ That still made her his girl. In their long history together, Sam had never gone after a girl Dean had claimed. _Doing that now would upset the balance._ And neither Sam nor Kelly wanted that. "Guess so." He said. "Humans are kind of sentimental like that."

***

Sam Winchester strode down Main Street, calmly dodging the passersby. His mind focused completely on what lay at the end of the street and beyond. Kelly's lurching emotions had sent a cool chill cascading down his spine. If his blood could flow, Sam would have broken out in goose bumps. As it was, his body heat was tepid, barely above room temperature. _And key to getting me mistaken for a vampire by other hunters._ And Sam didn't really want to test whether or not his already dead body could survive a machete through his chest cavity. He didn't know if the magicks keeping him alive could withstand it. _And I've already died enough for one lifetime._ He wasn't eager to do it again.

The sun was high overhead. It's rays blazing down on the city streets below. Without a cloud in the sky, the sun could do whatever it wanted. Heating the pavement to a low boil, tempting the asphalt to melt the rubber wheels of the cars. It could see everything. But the focus fell on the tall young man and the blonde woman following him.

She'd waited for him to separate from the others in his group, from the Hound. The blonde knew it would recognize her and she wasn't about to spoil her chances before getting the chance to play. No, she had scouted him last night. Lurking in the shadows and watching their interactions, trying to discern how best to approach him. She was a pragmatic creature and had no desire to end up as some foul beast's dinner. What she knew could assist Sam Winchester, but it would only matter if she could survive long enough to deliver the message. And with that Hound always at his side, the chances of living through the first encounter were minimal. Still, she needed to learn everything she could about Sam and his brother. Everything.

The blonde waited for him to walk past and then followed. Cutting across the street, she remained out of sight. Not that it would have mattered. Sam was about as likely to notice her as he was any other man or woman on the street, even less because he never bothered to look back. He was intent on his destination. Still, she kept herself a few feet behind him, at a safe distance, ready to disappear the minute he felt like turning around.

***

_So, you came all this way to warn me?_ Kelly thought as she stared at the Baba Yaga. Taking in the sagging flesh of her breasts and the grey nature of her skin, Kelly suppressed the urge to soothe her dry throat, her mind spinning wheels. _Which one was it?_ She wondered, knowing that she would have to answer the woman. _Which brother was stupid enough to bargain with the Baba Yaga?_ There were two rules when it came to dealing with the Baba Yaga. The first one was never offending the Russian demagogue. The second was never bargaining, no matter what information she dangled beneath your nose. _It's never worth the price._

"Is that all, Grandmother?" She asked. Her eyes hardening slightly as she stared at the old woman, but she kept her forehead and the corners of her eyes smooth and her voice friendly. She would not offend the Baba Yaga. _Not after she's so generously forgiven me._ Kelly doubted that was true. _She's probably just planning something to bite me in the ass._ If this involved either Dean or Sam then she obviously was.

"That was all I came to discuss, duckling." The Baba Yaga said, her walking stick rapping against the gravel. "To give a warning." She lifted a bony finger. "And to provide you with a kernel of truth."

"Free of charge?"

"When I call upon the boy, youngling, will you interfere?" Baba Yaga asked. She readjusted her shawl around her shoulders. "When I claim him and take him out of time, will you follow him into Russia?"

"I can promise nothing." Kelly replied. "Both of brothers are friends of mine, Grandmother."

"Ah," Baba Yaga coughed. "And something more. I see you are developing a sense of sentimentality." Her lips drooped together as she considered Kelly, her beady eyes running over the younger woman's form and face. "How human of you." She chuckled. "Perhaps the Crone's punishment could teach you nothing after all, you are making the same mistakes." She reached out with her clawing fingers and Kelly suppressed a flinch as the pads of the old woman's fingers caressed her cheek. The withered skin brushing the scar on her cheek and the old woman leaned in close. Her breath tickling against Kelly's ear, her sharp teeth gnashing together as she opened her mouth a little wider, her voice low. "Perhaps it would be easier if you could remember."

"I have no wish to remember, Grandmother." Kelly said in a husky voice. She fought the urge to pull away. "That was another life. I am a different person now."

"All the more reason to give them back to you, child." Baba Yaga murmured. Her voice was wicked as her claws curled around the strands of Kelly's hair, the pointed end of her nail tapping against the edge of Kelly's ear. "All the more reason."

Kelly swallowed. _To make me suffer. I understand Baba Yaga._ She resisted the urge to close her eyes. She would not expose her weaknesses to this creature. _I understand._

"To remember what you have lost."

_Only to have you steal it all away from me._ Kelly thought. _I know the rules of this game, witch. I know how to play._ Her eyes widened as she looked down the trail. Sam, his tall and broad body, his brow glistening with perspiration had just come into view. He was at the bottom of the small hill and seeing him, his soulful brown eyes staring up at her, made her heart pound. It squeezed painfully with guilt. _Dean._ His name was always on the tip of her tongue but memory of his face wasn't enough to stop her from being thankful. She was glad Sam had come. That would end her discussion with the Baba Yaga.

"I will see you again, duckling." The old woman murmured into her ear. "Soon."

But Kelly knew that she was already far away, her voice held by the wind, the sentiments making Kelly's heart chilled. The Baba Yaga was good at inspiring despair. _Soon is too soon._ She thought, knowing she would have to find out which brother had bargained. _And soon._ But Kelly didn't have time to think any further as a strong pair of arms wrapped around her body and lifted her up off the ground. Burying her head into his shoulder, she flung her arms around Sam Winchester's neck. Hot tears, ones that she'd been holding in for months sputtered down her cheeks. A soft wail escaped her lips as she pressed her cheek against Sam's neck. It was all too much.

"Sam…" She murmured into his collarbone.

"I'm here." Sam whispered. He kept his arms tight around Kelly's body, stroking her hair gently with his hand. Sam felt like he was rocking a baby as he slowly moved back and forth. "I'm not going to leave you. I'm here." _I love you. I'll always protect you._ "It's okay, it's all going to be okay."

"It's not." She replied. "But thanks for saying so."

"Hey," he chuckled. "What are partners for?"

***

The hours passed and the group set back about their work finding the mysterious attacker. The worked until evening and the various reports led them to a small bar at the end of town. The place was mostly deserted with the exception of a few regulars and as the moon climbed ever higher into the sky, Dean Winchester checked his watch and then the streets. Together with Bobby Singer and Erin Chang, he was waiting for his brother and his ex to return. Dean didn't like the idea of them spending so much time alone together. But he knew he could say nothing on the subject. Not without offending someone, which he really didn't care about, and not without breaking his own deal. If he could find a way around all the clauses that the Crossroads Demon had stuffed into the bargain for his soul, Dean would. But he couldn't think of anything and the risks were far too high to just take a chance. He wasn't going to play around when both Kelly and Sam's lives were on the line. He knew that this was just part of his punishment.

Dean listened as Bobby yawned into his hand. He glanced up into the rearview mirror and watched as Erin imitated Bobby's gesture, her mouth getting wide as a cat's and her tongue flicking between her teeth. He didn't know whether she was actually tired, bored, or just curious. _What?_ Dean wondered. _Has she never seen a yawn before?_ Either way it was strangely adorable, but Dean Winchester wasn't about to tell anyone he'd thought that.

The older man glanced away from the Bar entrance. "What time is it?"

"And where are Sam and Kelly?" Erin asked. She was leaning forwards, her head between the two men and peered curiously from one to the other. "Have you heard from either of them on your…" She stared at the cell in Dean's hand with distaste. "Phone?"

"You sound nervous." Dean said. With a smirk, he glanced back at her and watched as she frowned.

"I am not nervous." She replied. "I do not believe one can get nervous at…" She leaned a little further forward, reading the electronic clock in the stereo. "Seven past midnight." Erin glanced from Dean to Bobby again. "This time has some magical significance, but not enough to swing our hand."

"Says you." Dean snapped.

"I do not understand what you are worried about." Erin said. "We are not divining. Finding this man does not require specific methods other than sitting still and waiting."

"And it's the waiting that's driving me crazy!"

"Why?"

"Because you won't shut the hell up!" Dean hissed.

"Enough!" Bobby waved his hands. "I had to put up with yer yackin' all day. I ain't listenin' to another argument now." He glared from one to the other. "Yeh hear me?"

"She started it, Bobby." Dean complained. He didn't feel it was fair, Bobby seemed to come down on him a lot harder when he argued with Erin. _Though I bet she's just picking at my ribs for the fun of it._ Erin probably enjoyed seeing him put through the ringer. She had that sick kind of mind.

"Leave the newbie alone, Dean." Bobby replied. "Arguin' with her is gonna get us nothin' but distractions." He fixed Dean with a stern stare. "Now, you sure this is the right place?"

Dean sighed loudly. "No."

"So, we could be waiting for nothing?" Erin asked.

"That's the job, sweetheart." Dean snapped. "Anyway, Bobby, I spent the whole day canvassing this stupid town with this guy's stupid mug and supposedly he drinks at this stupid bar."

A fist banging on the window made them all jump. Dean's head jerked up to see the grinning face of Sam, his heartbeat quieted as he took a few deep breaths. He listened as Sam laughed and swung the door open, squeezing in behind them. _This car seriously was not built with a backseat in mind._ Dean thought as his entire chair jerked forwards.

"Sorry." Sam muttered as he settled down besides Erin, forcing her to shift sideways and make room for his much larger frame. "Wow, this is a tight squeeze."

"No kidding." Kelly said. She was kneeling on the asphalt next to the door, watching with ironic eyes as Sam tried to get comfortable next to Erin. A small smile was on her lips. "Is there room in there or should I just sit out here like the dog that got the boot."

"Technically, I think Sam's the one who should get the boot." Bobby said. "What's the matter with you, boy?" He asked. "Haven't ya ever heard of ladies first?"

Dean noticed a bit of puffiness around her eyelids and a touch of red rimming her eyes. He wondered if she'd been crying. He opened his mouth. "Don't kick Sammy out, Bobby." He said. "I don't think my head could take it." Pointedly, he didn't ask about the tears.

"Funny." Kelly chuckled. "Real funny."

"You wanna hear what we found or not?" Sam asked. He leaned through the seats. "Or am I gonna have to share the info from out in the rain?"

"Just tell 'em, Sam." Kelly growled. She tugged her jacket more tightly around her shoulders and hugged her body, her mouth in a grim line. She didn't like sitting out in the cold, it made her want to tuck her tail between her legs.

"So, John Doe's name is Walter Rosen, he's from Oak Park, just west of Chicago and he went missing about three months ago."

"When the Devil's Gate opened." Kelly added from where she crouched. Her eyes sliding back to the bar and narrowing. She smelled it, even in this wet air. Sulfur. She sneezed.

"Thank you, Sherlock." Dean snapped. He glanced back at his brother. "So you think he's possessed?"

"Oh." Kelly sighed. "He's definitely possessed." She lifted her chin and looked at the bar. A tingle rushed through her stomach. It was a bad feeling, like she'd just gotten a colonoscopy. _Well, shit._ If her nose was right, there were six of them inside. Six demons, more than the boys had ever handled before. _Stronger too._ She doubted her ability to go against them all, even with Bobby and the Winchesters at her back.

"What do you smell, girl?" Bobby asked. He leaned passed Dean to get a better look at her and watched as her nostrils sniffled the air.

Kelly glanced up at him. "Bad things."

"So, what he just walks up someone, touches them and they go stark raving psycho?" Sam asked.

"It would appear to be that way." Erin nodded. She glanced at Kelly. "There are not so many of them."

"There are enough." Kelly said. "Enough to get my hackles up." She looked back at Sam and then to Dean and Bobby. "Look if we charge in there, it'll be a Mexican Standoff with a Bolivian Army ending." She shrugged. "And much as I like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I don't feel like going out just yet."

"And those demons that got out of that gate, they're gonna be able to do all kinds of things." Bobby said.

"You mean the demons we let out." Sam said.

A moment of silence settled over the group. Finally, Erin chimed in with a cheerful voice. "I feel no guilt whatsoever."

"Thanks for the update." Kelly grumbled. Her head turned at the sound of a rumbling engine shutting off, Kelly tucked low to the ground. Her eyes focused forward, her ears listening to the footsteps of a man, tasting the lingering scent of sulfur that tainted the pheromones drifting off his skin. _Great. That makes seven._

"Guys." Dean's voice ended all conversation in the car.

The humans' eyes focused through the windshield as they followed the man's collected swagger. Erin glanced from one face to the next. To her, he didn't look so strong or frightening. _It would be easiest if we grabbed him now and eliminated one of their number._ She glanced at Kelly and saw the Hound tensing on the ground, her entire posture showing a readiness to spring.

"Alright," Dean said. "Showtime."

"I can get him." Kelly said. Her voice a low growl, pools of gold filled her eyes as her black pupil dilated. She was watching the demon with a hungry stare. "If we capture him now, we can find out what's going on in the bar. Then we'll know."

"Know what?" Dean asked.

"Who they are." Kelly replied. Her eyes never leaving the demon's body, her muscles tensing even tighter, her legs quivering with the readiness to spring.

"Wait a minute." Bobby said.

"What?" Kelly and Dean asked in unison. They glanced at each other sheepishly, then away. Kelly's gaze returning to the man, while Dean's remained on Bobby.

"What did I just say?" Bobby asked. "We don't know what to expect from this guy. We should tail him until we know for sure."

"Or we could just capture him now." Kelly said. "Before he has a chance to get inside."

"So we're just gonna sit here with our junk in our hands?" Dean asked. "Is that it?"

"We're no good dead!" Bobby snapped. "And we're not gonna make a move until we know what the score is."

"Seven demons." Kelly said. Her voice was hard, her nails digging into the meat of her palm as she watched the demon draw further away, knowing that once he reached the swinging doors of the bar… _I'll have missed my chance._ She had already missed her chance. She glanced over her shoulder at Sam, giving him a hard stare. He should have given her the go ahead. _I could have got him._ "There's seven demons in there that I can smell, maybe there's more." She shook her head. "I don't know." The line of her mouth hardened. "But if we don't act right now, we'll lose our shot!"

"I'm sorry, kid." Bobby said. "That's just the way it is."

"Hey Bobby?" Sam asked. Catching sight of two familiar figures moving through the darkness, he leaned forward. "I don't think that's an option."

"Why not?" Bobby asked.

"Because Mr. Dumb and Mrs. Dumber are already moving to engage." Kelly said. Lifting her chin, she indicated Isaac and Tamara as they walked around the side of their car. "And since they don't know what I know." Her eyes narrowed. "They've just walked into the shitter."

"Letting them die would be the intelligent thing to do." Erin said. She watched impassively as the pair of Hunters crossed the parking lot. She was not impressed by their tactics. _A quick and easy way to get themselves killed._ Personally Erin didn't see anything wrong with that. "Why should we risk our lives to save theirs?"

"That's a damn good question." Kelly sighed. "A damn good question."

She ignored the men and their stares. She knew they wouldn't understand where she was coming from. _Christ, it's not like I've grown a second head._ A little pragmatism never hurt anyone. _And there's no guarantee that they're even useful as hunters._ Plus it would reduce their chances for success, especially if they'd run afoul of several demons. _And we don't know any of their powers._ Kelly took a deep breath and shook her head. She knew what Sam and Dean's answer would be. _Still, it never hurts to be practical._


	13. Chapter 12: Storming the Castle

Chapter Twelve: Storming the Castle

Inside, Isaac and Tamara were sitting at a table. The sweet tunes of Leonard Skinner wailed through the wooden room as several handsome young men and women clustered around the bar. The bartender was handing out large tankards of beer from the behind the counter, an easy smile on his lips. Their mark, the demon who'd caused a whole bunch of trouble earlier in the morning was sitting at that bar, drinking his beer like there was no great hurry, like he was a perfectly normal man. But Isaac and Tamara both knew different. Their years of experience had told them immediately that something was off about him and for them this was just a routine mission. At the end of the evening there would be one less piece of putrid demonic waste wandering the world. Something that meant both Isaac and Tamara would sleep better tonight.

Tamara reached for her husband's hand with a ready smile and squeezed it as they watched their pretty, slim, and brunette waitress head back to the bar. She knew that they wouldn't be staying for drinks. Her right hand toyed with the red napkin as she adjusted in her seat. She checked over her shoulder, checking to see if their mark had moved.

"Be patient." Isaac murmured. "Everything's gonna be fine."

From his seat at the bar, their mark glanced back over his shoulder. He was checking them out also. Tamara averted her eyes as Isaac pulled a small silver flask out from within the inner coat pocket of his tan jacket, keeping it out of sight underneath the table. His thumb brushed over the cross emblazoned on the front. Holy water.

He looked up at Tamara and they shared another small smile. He could see the eagerness in his wife's eyes. The excitement. She always enjoyed a good hunt. He felt something blossom in his chest, it was the warmth of anticipation. At the moment, he didn't dare steal a kiss from her lips. But there would be celebration later, there always was. _And the more bloody the better._ Tamara was that kind of woman. The kind he'd grown to love.

The demon turned away from the bar with a smile and stuck a long wooden stalk between his teeth. With a nod to the man standing by the jukebox, he crossed the room with a quick and eager walk. Then, he disappeared behind the swinging doors of the men's restroom.

That meant Isaac would be facing him alone.

"Pull the car around back." Isaac said. His voice was full of confidence. "We'll be right out."

Tamara reached across the surface of the table, her fingers tightening around his hand and squeezed. "I love you." She said, her voice low and only audible in his ears. He could see the worry in her eyes. It was mixed in with the confidence. She didn't like the idea of him capturing the demon alone.

"I know." He replied. Staring into her smile, his own spreading from ear to ear, he remembered their first kill. It was on the evening of a full moon down by the lake, doused in water and mud from head to toe, Isaac remembered the way she'd shone. Blood was spattered across her face, a carving knife in hand; she'd been tired but victorious. Isaac had never seen her more beautiful. _Not even on our wedding day._

He got up off the table, unaware of the shit that was about to hit the fan.

***

Earlier,

"We go in after them!" Dean exclaimed. "That's obvious!"

Kelly, Erin, Sam, and Dean were standing outside the bar door. They were trying to keep their voices as low as possible, aware that the demons inside might overhear their argument. Well, at least Kelly, Erin, and Sam understood that. Dean, on the other hand, seemed more interested in tempting fate. Kelly frowned at him. She understood his feelings and his impulse to not leave any man behind. Her arms crossed over her chest and she shared an understanding glance with Erin. The two fey disliked each other, but they were both deeply aware of the realities of the situation.

"And if we save them, what then?" Kelly asked. She tilted her head to the side, her eyes sad. "Only five people will fit in Bobby's car, someone's gonna have to stay behind. Who're you willing to sacrifice, Dean?" He opened his mouth and she held up a finger. "And don't say you, I'm getting really sick of this stupid kamikaze trip. So sick in fact that if any of us stay behind, I guarantee it won't be you."

"So what?" Dean growled. "You volunteering you?"

"If you insist on charging in there, then yeah, I am." Kelly replied. She lifted her chin.

"No." Dean snapped.

"Yes." Kelly said. "I'm one of the only ones here with a shot at survival." She glanced at her partner. "Besides Sam, of course."

Sam glanced at her and nodded. "That sounds like a good idea to me."

"No damn way!" Dean snarled. "I don't care if Sam's already a walking corpse. Neither one of you is staying if I'm not."

"You're not staying." Kelly retorted. "Out of everyone in this group you and Bobby are the most fragile, the ones with the best chance of getting picked off."

"What about Erin?" Dean demanded. "She's got no experience!"

"She's fey!" Kelly growled. "She's got better defenses than you against hellspawn! She'll hold out longer!"

"You sayin' I'm useless?"

"I'm saying you're not staying behind!"

"You are not team leader!" Dean roared. He reached out to grab her. "I'm not leavin' you behind, not when you could be… Not when I—" He caught himself mid-sentence and swallowed. "Not when you're goddamn life is the only thing keepin' my brother alive."

There was a pause as Kelly stared at him and Erin considered him. Sam only looked away, keeping his attention focused on the inside. If a fight started, he was going to hear it. He glanced back at Bobby who was sitting in the car, ready to ram it through the doors. He barely knew what the hell they were doing here, except that Erin said that she had a plan, an idea. He wondered if the younger fey would ever get the chance to share it. He looked over his partner. Kelly was a tight ball of angry emotions. She needed to calm down.

Kelly swallowed and looked away from him. "You aren't staying." She repeated. "And that's final."

"I will stay." Erin said. "Hand me your knife, Kelly."

"No!" Dean exploded. "Hell no!"

"You said you had a plan." Nodding, Kelly stared at Erin thoughtfully. Then, she knelt down and yanked a small knife out of her boot. Flipping the blade open and extending it hilt first to the young Asian, she added. "You better not stab me with that."

"I will not." Erin said. She sounded offended by the thought. "Even if it would end the argument, saving my ears from your shrill voice and the grating of his yelling." A small smile played at the corners of her lips as she turned to face the doors. "Writing an incantation will probably serve us better."

"Whoa, wait…" Dean trailed off. "Magic?"

"Obviously." Erin replied. She took a step forward past Sam and stood on her tiptoes as she stared up at the frame. "A simple spell, one that stops anything demonic from exiting through this door. It should slow them down for a time."

"Really?" Sam asked. He was staring at her with a new kind of respect. "You can do that?"

"Sam," Erin said. She glanced past him and gave Kelly a look of triumph. "It is so simple even my kinds children can do it."

Kelly coughed. "Great." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked back towards the bar. "But hop to it, looks like the party's about to start and I'd hate to miss the bone grinding action." She cast Dean another significant look. "Or let the idiot hunters die."

"Whatever." Dean sighed.

"Very well," Erin smiled. She looked up at the heading of the doorframe again and swallowed. "Um," she glanced back at the boys. "Could one of you give me a boost?"

***

An arm grabbed Isaac as he was heading for the bathroom and spun him around. He found himself staring into the angry face of a tall, white man with a shaved head. A red tee shirt hung loosely on his wiry frame, a black jacket clinging to his arms, the collar puffed around his neck. A silver chain hung loosely just above his collarbone and his right ear was pierced with a talon shaped earring dangling above his shoulder. His face was contorted with fury, his lips spread wide to expose sharpened canines and shaved teeth.

"What do you think you're doin'?"

The question hung in the air as the chair's legs clattered against the floor. Tabitha was on her feet. Behind them, several faces looked up with interest from the bar. Everyone was watching them now.

_So much for covert ops._ Isaac thought as he felt the barkeep's fingers tighten on his shoulder. Something was off about the man. He could feel it. It was a gnawing suspicion chewing at the base of his spine. _But what?_ This seemed like a gross overreaction, neither he nor Tamara had done anything to piss off the bartender. _Yet._

"Just hitting the head." Isaac responded.

"No." The barkeep twisted his arm and in response to the pain, Isaac jerked back, his left arm coming up to reveal the flask in his hand. "I mean," the smile on the man's face grew wider. He grabbed the silver flask and threw it away. It clattered across the floor and disappeared underneath a table, to far away to be of any use. "What do you think you're doing here?" The barkeep's eyes turned a dark inky black as his voice dropped several octaves.

Both Isaac and Tamara stiffened in surprise. Tamara casting a vain glance after the holy water, knowing that there was no way she could get to it in time. She gasped as she felt the demon's gaze settle on her. She knew that they were in trouble. The demon dropped Isaac and she felt her husband back up, standing protectively in front of her. What little good it would do him, now.

"I don't like hunters in my bar!"

***

Outside, Kelly head tilted as she listened the door latches clicking into place. "Doors are locked." She said. "Looks like things are starting."

Dean glanced at her for a moment and then launched himself at the door, shoulder and all. Sam followed suit, but together the strength of their bodies couldn't break the latch keeping the door shut tight. After several minutes of agonizing pain and being frustratingly unsuccessful, Dean and Sam stopped and glanced back over their shoulders, realizing that one person who was physically stronger than both of them wasn't helping. They turned around to stare at the girls. Both Kelly and Erin were standing behind them, arms crossed over their chests, they were watching Sam and Dean's efforts with amused expressions on their countenances.

"You wanna help?" Dean asked. He jabbed his thumb at the door. "I mean, if you two ladies can be bothered to get off your collective asses."

"Nope." Kelly said with an easy smile.

"We have something better in mind." Erin added. She glanced at her rival. "It involves your motorized carriage."

"And a surprise." Kelly nodded.

"What the hell?" Dean asked. "How are you gonna get this door open?"

"She will manage." Erin said. "It's what Hounds of the Hunt are bred for."

"So, everybody get back to the car." Kelly said, her smile growing ever wider as she spoke. "Cause its show time."

"What are you going to do?" Dean demanded.

Kelly lifted her head, her eyes shining in the darkness. She lifted her blackening fingernails and let a feral grin touch her lips. She was going to enjoy this. Kelly could already feel the bloodlust humming through her veins. It was the call of the Hunt.

Sam stared at his partner, feeling the ball of steely determination building at the back of his mind. He knew that Kelly had something special planned, something that she didn't want either of them to see, quite possibly it was the side of herself that she'd hidden from them. He swallowed. Sam didn't like the idea of leaving her here alone, or her going in there. But he knew he had to trust her to handle herself. She was doing this to give them an opening to get the other hunters out. _And have a little fun at the same time._ After months of stress, how could he deny her that?

"She's gonna distract them, Dean." Sam said. He grabbed his brother by the arm. "Come on, you know the plan."

"You're not goin' in there alone!" Dean snarled. He didn't like this plan at all. _Can't believe Sammy of all people is willing to go along with it!_ How did she plan on getting open a door that he and Sam couldn't? Dean didn't want to know, he just wanted her to be safe. _And this is not safe!_ "Kelly!"

"Back off, Dean." Kelly said. Her eyes had become completely golden and they were glowing in the darkness. She could feel the Yellow Eyed Demon inside her. Feel the strength of the mission he'd prepared her for. What he'd made her to do. _Kill demons._ It was what she'd been born to do. "I know what I'm doing."

"And what are you gonna do?"

She tilted her head to the side and glanced at him. He felt his heart freeze at the joy in her features, the coy smile on her lips, the way her eyes danced in the darkness.

"Play."

***

Inside, Isaac and Tamara twisted with hope as the doors began to shake. It sounded as if someone was throwing their body against it, like the cavalry had arrived. They couldn't keep themselves from hoping, even with a nest of demons surrounding them.

The demon they'd tailed smiled widely. "Looks like someone walked into the wrong bar." He took an eager step forward.

"Hold on." Called the blonde from the back. Her black eyes flicked up and down over Tamara's body, a lecherous smirk teasing her pretty features. "I like the girl."

"Wish I had me a girl like that." The first demon echoed. The rest of the group laughed, their voices sending an eerie chill through the room.

"I can think of about a thousand things I'd like to do to her." More laughter.

Isaac squeezed Tamara's hand. He could hear her rapid, frightened breathing. He wanted to assure her that it would be okay, that they would be okay. "You're not gonna lay one filthy finger on her!"

***

"What in the nine hells is goin' on?" Bobby demanded as Sam swung open the door and pushed himself into the backseat.

"Kelly wants you to ram the car through the opening in the bar doors on her signal." Sam said, his voice breathless as he leaned forward through the seats. "She's going in first."

"What?" Bobby asked. "She some kind of damned fool?"

"That's what I'm guessin'." Dean climbed into the car after Sam. He glanced back at Erin, his eyes questioning. But the dark silhouette of the young Asian woman cast a long shadow in the yellow, overhead streetlights. Her arms were crossed in the darkness and her pose showed that she had no intention of climbing into the car with them. "You comin' or what?"

"No." Erin replied. "I've done what I can." She shook her head slowly and a bit regretfully, a sour expression crossing her beautiful features as she looked up at the erect back of Kelly Jones. "I am afraid my abilities will do you little good in the heat of battle and I do not wish to make climbing out of that two door contraption any more difficult." She swallowed. "Besides, I am not…" Erin paused. "Welcome."

"What?" Dean asked. He didn't get what she meant and then he followed her eyes to Kelly's back. _I gotta wonder…_ Maybe the young fey didn't hate his furry ex as much as she thought. _She kinda…well, she seems to respect her._ That was weird and it was weird of him to notice. _Maybe cause a small part of you does hope that she'll manage to steal Sam away from Kelly._ If only to lessen the growing connection between his brother and the woman he loved. "Right. Kelly. Got it."

"I'm sure Kelly would want your help, even if you can't do much in the fight." Sam said.

"If you say that," Erin sighed. "Then you clearly do not know her kind well."

Sam shook his head. He understood Kelly well enough. "Either way, we're gonna be making a quick getaway, and if you want to escape, you'll need to be in the car." He was staring at Erin with worried eyes. He wasn't exactly fond of the abrasive young fey, but he had no intention of leaving her behind to become demon chow. _Especially if she can't fight!_ "So we can take you with us."

"Your concern is noted." Erin said. She sounded a little relieved. "And appreciated." A small smile touched her lips as she glanced at Sam. "But it is also unnecessary. I think your Kelly always intended for she and I to be the two left behind, we both have other means of travel that make us ideal without having to rely on your…" She paused again, her lips twisting with distaste. "'Quick getaway'."

"You sure, kiddo?" Bobby asked. "Once we're out of the bar, we won't pull to a stop to pick you up."

"It is strange to say," Erin said. "But I trust Kelly." She looked at the faces of the men for another moment. She swallowed and shook her head ruefully. "And it is even stranger for me to admit that you should as well. For all her faults and her…" Her upper lip curled with a touch of disgust. "Human tendencies. She is far more skilled than you think."

"I believe that." Bobby said. "We just hate the idea of one of our own goin' in alone."

"Sam gave her the order." Erin said. Her explanation was mostly for Bobby's benefit and she knew it wouldn't make sense to the boys. "She cannot be dissuaded now." She smiled for a moment, surprised to see the care in the old man's eyes. It felt strange to be speaking so highly of her rival, but Erin had to admit that she found Kelly oddly impressive. The woman was brusque, irritating, and behaved like she knew everything. But she had also shown Erin a kindness that the other young woman had rarely seen within the halls of Annwn. "I know she is your pack. She will come back to you." Erin was surprised to find that she trusted her. _I am a fool._ But she couldn't stop herself from admitting it. She liked Kelly Jones. She wanted to be accepted by this team. She wanted to be one of them. _I have to do my best._

"What?" Sam exclaimed as two sets of angry eyes turned on him. "No! I didn't! She wanted to and I…"

"Gave her permission." Erin glanced at him. "She would not do this if you said no." She swallowed, feeling her throat close hopelessly with the next words. "She is your hound, Sam Winchester."

"That doesn't make her his slave!" Dean spat.

Erin glanced at him. There was something off about his expressions, about the way he stared at Kelly Jones, about the way he worried about her. It went beyond the feelings of a teammate. She had pondered this for a while, but knew that now was not the time to ask.

"Be still." She sighed. "Or you'll miss the signal."

***

"I've got somethin' for you." A small weasel of a man moved off the wall, a white bottle of drainer cleaning fluid in his hand. His fingers slid up Isaac's arm to rest on his shoulder, his smile friendly as he stared into the black hunter's eyes. "A drink." He leaned against him, a casual smile on his face. Behind him laughter ripped through the air.

"Isaac!" Tamara yelled as she watched her husband eye the fluid, suddenly looking thirsty. "Baby!"

Behind them there was a crash. Several of the demons spun around to see the doors nearly exploding off their hinges. There was a moment's pause as tense silence filled the air.

Then a shadow fell across the floor as a young woman in a long leather duster walked into the room. Her dark brown hair bound up in a ponytail on the back of her skull, her hands were loosely tucked into the pockets of her coat as she sauntered across the floor of the bar. Her eyes were a glowing molten gold as she turned to face the demons and the hunters. A casual smile flicked over her lips.

"I'm sorry," Kelly said. Her golden eyes glittering in the gloom, her gaze sweeping Isaac, Tamara, and the seven demons that surrounded them, a twist in her lips. "Was this a private party? Or can anybody join?"

**A/N:** I know, I know, it's been forever since my last update. I'm sorry, I got a little depressed by some of the Season 4 episodes of Supernatural and I needed a break, which I took with Periculum by the way, my Buffy/Star Wars crossover. But no matter, I got my energy back and I'll start updating again. I'm energized and ready to give you more!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the shit's gonna hit the fan in the next installment and as Kelly fights some demons.

Remember feedback=love. So I'm expecting reviews, lots of reviews.

Feed my muse!


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